Shelter – A Solangelo Novel
by Queenie Mab
Summary: ***BoO Spoilers*** Proceed with Caution! Shortly after his stay in the infirmary, Nico agrees to accompany Will Solace and his friend Lou Ellen on a quest for Apollo. It's a trip full of new experiences, old dangers, and revisiting past wounds. Along the way, they discover the secret to healing and learn to move forward.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: All recognizable characters and themes are the property of Rick Riordan from the world of Percy Jackson. I am not making any money from this work of fiction. I'm just having a good time playing around in his sandbox.

This is a novel length story and it is complete. I'm posting the chapters here as I am able to edit them to conform to the standards of this site. It begins immediately after Blood of Olympus ends, and is one big spoiler if you haven't read BoO yet. Please be warned. I'd love to hear what you think of the fic! Feel free to comment or send me a PM!

XxxX

_Come lie in my shadow_  
><em>on those hot, hot summer days<em>  
><em>when immeasurable bitters<em>  
><em>leave you parched<em>

_Take refuge beneath me_  
><em>when tempests rage<em>  
><em>and winds howl<em>  
><em>choked emotion<em>

_Put me on like a coat,_  
><em>or a glove or a shoe<em>  
><em>anything, everything<em>  
><em>to prevent bruising<em>

_Drift with me in solace_  
><em>and understanding<em>  
><em>When you're hedged in shrubbery<em>  
><em>and the clippers won't snap<em>

_Spinning and twining_  
><em>cut the ties<em>  
><em>break your band<em>  
><em>Let them fall to dust<em>

_Grasp my hand and follow me_  
><em>as I raise the dawn<em>  
><em>Drenching you in honeyed rays<em>  
><em>embracing paradise<em>

_Feel free to receive_  
><em>rest and reprieve<em>  
><em>Let's traipse, let's waltz<em>  
><em>spellbound self education<em>

_Find pleasure in my pasture_  
><em>Take nourishment from this<em>  
><em>sweet cup, filled full<em>  
><em>of my youth – only for you<em>

Shelter

Will Solace's face breaks into a bright smile as Nico approaches.

"So you're not an idiot _and_ you keep your promises."

Nico can't help the warmth rising in his cheeks. He feels on fire right now, nearly ready to dance, and that's just odd. Nico isn't one for dancing.

"Three days huh? What sort of torture do you have in store for me?" Nico asks, looking suspiciously around Will's tall figure blocking the doorway to the infirmary.

_Am I actually flirting with this guy? Is that even allowed? Do I care?_

At the sight of Will's eyes sparkling with mischief and the smirk forming on his lips, Nico decides that the answers to those questions are: _yes, screw it, and not a bit._

"I don't know about torture, but don't think I won't hesitate to stick you under a sun lamp and dispel every last shadow in the room if I get even a hint of you itching to use your underworld powers. I get three days, no powers; doctor's orders."

Nico absently rubs at the back of his head, then winces. The dratted gouges Lycaon left in his arms seem to think that now is the perfect time to hurt.

Will frowns, narrowing his eyes. He steps away from the door and points inside, leaving no room whatsoever for Nico to argue. Strangely, Nico finds it rather comforting.

XxxX

It's no longer comforting. Nico has been forced to shower sitting in a shower chair, as Will doesn't trust him not to fall over – _And don't even think I won't barge in and take over if you fall on your face _– and then to don a seriously uncool hospital gown and pajama bottoms.

"Yellow, really?" Nico says, plucking at the thin cotton with distaste.

"Shut up, shadow boy. I think a bit of sunshine will do you a world of good."

Nico reluctantly obeys, which is how he finds himself sitting up in an admittedly comfortable hospital bed, propped up with at least four pillows, and answering Will's questions one at a time. He sighs. "Why do you need to know the date of my last vaccine?"

Will's at the desk across the room, writing Nico's responses on a chart and making a horribly annoying flapping sound with his flip-flops. He's got nice calves though, Nico will give him that.

Will turns on his wheeled stool and rolls over to the side of Nico's bed. He's holding a clipboard. "I need your medical history, or as much of it as you can recall. Standard procedure."

Nico's not sure if the humorous look that crosses Will's face is him dicking Nico around and wasting his time or not. But Nico's too tired to bother reading into it. He yawns.

"They gave Bianca and me vaccinations when we were enrolled at Westover Hall. About four years ago." He sinks into his pillows and closes his eyes. He'll be out in a few minutes. He can feel sleep tugging his consciousness down. Then Will will have to rant and rave because he won't be getting anymore answers out of Nico.

Will jots the information down and moves on to the next question. "Date of birth?"

Nico opens one drowsy eye. "Huh?"

"What day were you born?" Will asks. His eyes look more concerned than they had a moment earlier. "Stay with me a few more minutes."

Nico grumbles and forces himself to sit back up. There's no way he can _not_ fall asleep when lying back on all the pillows. He yawns again. "January 28th, 1930."

Will snorts. Nico opens his eyes the rest of the way and glares. "What?"

The look he gets from Will sends a thrill of pleasure through Nico's system.

"It's just, damn!" Will purses his lips and whistles soft and low, an impressed sort of whistle. "You look _damn fine_ for your age."

Nico doesn't care that he's half asleep, doesn't care that he's secretly thrilled at being told he looks damn fine; he grabs the nearest pillow and throws it at Will's head.

"Hey!" comes Will's chuckling shout. Nico hisses as the werewolf scratches burn. It feel like acid's been spilled over his skin. If he lies still, doesn't move his muscles much, it mellows into a tolerable burn, but without the adrenaline of battle, they burn worse than fire, worse than drinking from the Phlegethon. "Alright, enough questions," Will says, tossing Nico's pillow on the foot of his bed. He stands up. "Take off your gown."

"What? Why?" Nico splutters, though he's so tired and so sore, he really can't find it in himself to put up much resistance.

"I need to treat those gouges on your arms. I know you're hiding them from me; I can feel them burning from here."

Nico nods his head forward, chin to chest, and allows Will to untie the gown and peel it off him.

"Di Angelo," Will says, and Nico looks up, meets his eyes. They're so close, so friendly, he feels like he's falling into them. He'd love nothing more than to go swimming in the blue of Will Solace's eyes. He's so far gone with fatigue, he's gotta be hallucinating. "You're one lucky bastard."

Nico shakes with silent laughter. _Lucky? Him?_ "Whatever," he says. He shivers as Will's warm hands touch his arm. He watches Will apply a thick green salve to the gouges, the acid burn mellowing into a dull ache – a pleasant dull ache – the sort of ache that would have him humping his mattress if he had any energy to spare. He kills that thought.

Will guides him back onto his pillows, a really comfortable arm supporting his back, and then treats the other arm. Nico succumbs to the pull of sleep to the feel of Will's strong hands on his body, and he doesn't even flinch. Sometimes, he supposes, it feels good to be touched.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Summary: Nico's dreams blow his mind

XxxX

Nico takes a startled step backward.

"What the …"

He's back in the cellar of Diocletian's palace. The rays of the sun slanting through the barred windows send a low reddish glow across the rubble-strewn floor. It's gotta be either early morning, or nearly dusk. The oppressive air of Eros's presence is thankfully absent. He stretches his arms; there's no pain at all. He's wearing an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt. It rides up as a warm breeze rushes past, dust motes flying in the stripes of light.

_I've got to be dreaming. There's no way I could actually be here again – and I don't wear orange._

A red feather flutters beside his foot. "Zephyros?" His voice bounces off the immense stone walls.

"Nico di Angelo," comes the response, though the god of the West Wind is still invisible. "You were really amazing in battle. I can see why that young doctor is so taken with you." Zephyros' voice is light and airy – a musical lilt to it.

"What are you talking about? Show yourself." Nico takes a step backward, his eyes narrowing, trying to pinpoint the god's presence in the shadowed space. His hands reach for his sword, but come up empty.

There's a swishing sound, and Zephyros materializes. He's leaning against a stone column, tossing his quoit ring as if he hasn't a care in the world. He's dressed as he was when Nico last saw him: a red tank top and Bermuda shorts.

"I think you know exactly what I'm talking about. You _owned_ your feelings, Nico – stood up for yourself – faced that old crush and laid it to rest. Doing that has made room in your heart. I think you may discover that the arrow Eros pierced you with is coming to life inside you."

"I told you already, I don't take orders from anyone. I don't acknowledge Eros's arrow. I am my own person and will make my own choices."

Zephyros gazes at him, moon-eyed, his lips parted. It's vaguely uncomfortable and, at the same time, sort of flattering. Nico scowls.

"Watch yourself, Nico. All that independence, all that fire – it makes you _intensely_ attractive. Apollo and I saw the same fierce passion in Hyacinthos." His lips turn up in an impish smirk. Nico hates it. "I don't think you'll make it out of Camp Half-Blood before feeling the sting of my master's mark."

"Whatever." Nico shrugs off the sense of unease filling him. "It's not a big deal. I've been to Tartarus and back; I've shadow-traveled across the world, and survived the rise and fall of Gaea. I think I can handle whatever _Eros_ throws at me." The words are like sand in his mouth.

Zephyros laughs easily; it's warm and musical – hypnotic. Nico's drowsy. "It's good to see you again. Now, rest." Diocletian's cellar fades, and Nico is buoyed back into unconsciousness.

XxxX

Light shines in a rectangle at the end of a long tunnel. It's a door, Nico realizes, coming back into awareness. He's standing at one end of a dark hallway, the distant sound of somebody singing filling his ears, growing louder as he moves toward the light. It's not a melody he recognizes, but it seems to beckon him.

He pushes the door open and finds himself back in the infirmary shower room. It makes no sense. There isn't a hallway like the one he just walked down anywhere near the infirmary. The shower chair he'd been forced to use has been pushed off to the side and the shower curtain is pulled back, revealing Will Solace – naked as the day he was born – his back to Nico under the shower spray.

It's his voice Nico followed. Nico's never really cared for singing, or if he had, it was so long ago he can't recall.

_I'm still dreaming. I have to be. He would have noticed me opening the door if this wasn't a dream._

Nico's face grows hot as he steps closer, and takes in Will's tanned skin – his firm body – his ass. He looks at himself. He's dressed in his black jeans and his shirt is off. Definitely a dream then. He's so hard, his cock prods his belt buckle, necessitating a quick adjustment.

_Hell, if I'm dreaming. I can do whatever I want._

"Hey, golden boy," he calls. "I think you missed a spot."

Will turns, not startled. Oh yeah, Nico's definitely going to have fun with this dream.

"Yeah?" Will offers Nico a roguish grin. "You want to give me a hand with these hard to reach places?"

Lust surges through Nico. It's unfamiliar; rather, he's never allowed it to surface to this extent before, in the past always keeping his deepest desires as far under lock and key as possible. But now the war against Gaea is finished and he's alive – he's safe – no longer hung up on Percy. Hell, he'd had the courage to settle that score directly, even outing himself. Just saying it out loud – admitting it to Percy's face – gave him a newfound sense of power, of self-mastery, even perhaps, joy. And this is a dream. He's safe in the dream world. Will shines like the sun, his cock so tantalizing, slipping in and out of his fist – his demeanor easy going and willing. _Willing Will._ Nico nearly laughs out loud. Why the hell shouldn't he do what he's longing to – to touch, to be touched – to kiss.

He steps forward as Will shuts off the shower with a bump of his elbow. Will pulls him close by his belt loops. Nico swallows hard.

_Does he want me to get on my knees? Will he be able to tell I haven't done anything like this before? Does it really matter? This is only a dream._

Will stares down at him, his blue eyes warm, welcoming. Nico would kill to be looked at like that in real life.

"Do you want me to –" Nico starts, but Will interrupts.

"Can I kiss you? I really want to."

Nico's mind is blown wide. All the questions he wants to ask, all the insecurities he has, he pushes away, nods. And then Will's lips meet his and his worries fly from his mind like chaff on the wind.

Will kisses tentatively, nervously. It's frustrating. Nico's pulse speeds up; it's almost like he's received a jumpstart to his heart at the first touch of Will's lips on his. He opens his eyes, and breaks the kiss. Will's eyelashes flutter as he looks at Nico, disappointed; but Nico's not finished by a long shot. He gives Will's chest a push, intending to nudge him to back up, but apparently he's not quite as aware of his own strength as he should be. Will stumbles backward a few paces, dragging Nico along with him, still holding onto his belt loops, and hitting the shower wall, surprised. "What –"

Nico doesn't let him finish. He pulls Will's face down and shuts him up with his tongue, and this kiss is much more satisfying. Will's hands travel to Nico's waist and – as he gets with the program – down to pull him closer. It's not as awkward as Nico always suspected his first time would be – touching another guy like this. He meets Will's tongue-filled kisses – trading control – his hands seeming to move on pure instinct.

Nico's not sure how it happens, but he's suddenly aware that Will's traded places with him, and _he's_ backed against the wall. Will's tall figure sinks to his knees and Nico threads his fingers through Will's shaggy blond hair. Will looks up at Nico, his blue eyes shot with huge pupils. "Can I?"

"Yeah," Nico gasps, so beyond aroused he can't even … He groans with relief, nearly blacking out. Will coughs, shaking under Nico's hands with choked laughter. Nico's basking in the glow, lost in Will's laughing eyes, his face. "C'mere."

XxxX

He blinks his eyes against the reddish light of daybreak spilling in through the infirmary window. Just a dream. But it was _awesome_. He notices a pair of feet on the end of his bed that are definitely not his and sits up. Will Solace has dragged an armchair into the infirmary and fallen asleep at Nico's bedside, his feet propped up on the foot of Nico's bed.

Secure with the knowledge that his dreams are private, Nico lies back on his pillow pile, looking out of the window at the sun rising over Zeus' Fist.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Summary: Facing the truth is painful.

XxxX

Will shivers in his sleep and Nico rolls his eyes. Idiot can drag an armchair into the room, but doesn't have the brains to fetch a blanket. Nico's ready to get up anyway; he likes the early morning hours the best. It's quiet and everything is still. The air is crisp and new, and it gives him time to clear his head. He swings his legs off the side of the hospital bed, cursing at his lack of a shirt, but not willing to put the yellow monstrosity of a gown back on again. He carefully drapes his blanket over Will, not bothering to stop himself smiling when nobody can see. Will snuggles under the blanket, automatically pulling it up under his chin and breathing deeply.

Nico pads on bare feet to the infirmary bathroom, thankful the other two beds are now empty. Will must have been busy yesterday. Nico uses the toilet and heads back out when he catches his reflection in the mirror from the corner of his eye. He stops to assess the damage.

He peels his bandages back, takes a long look at the crooked stitches holding his skin together and grimaces. It could be worse; the swelling has improved considerably and he can lift his arms with only the slightest tenderness, but now he looks even more like a freak.

"What the … Where … Nico?" Will calls from the next room. Nico forces himself not to blush.

_It was only a dream. Keep it together, di Angelo_.

"Yeah," he calls back. "Be out in a sec."

Nico turns off the light and walks back into the infirmary.

Will grins crookedly and pulls his legs off Nico's bed, then wraps the blanket around his shoulders. "Hey, feeling better?" he asks. He stands up, screws up his face, and shifts from one foot to the other nearly falling over.

"What are you doing?"

Will seems to recover himself, shuffles his feet, and walks around the foot of the bed toward Nico. "The floor is cold, couldn't find my flip flops, and my legs fell asleep." He screws up his face, then relaxes. "I promise I'm really not an idiot. Only in the mornings."

Nico snorts, then takes a step back when Will reaches out for him.

"Hey, I won't hurt you." Will looks almost like he's trying to coax a frightened rabbit out of hiding. "Can I look at your wounds?" His hands are up, palms facing Nico as if to show he's not going to pull a fast one and stick him with a needle.

Nico relaxes a fraction. It's stupid, but he can't get the image of Will's face from his dream – his eyes bright with awe and laughter – out of his head. "Yeah, alright."

He looks out the window when Will's hands touch his left bicep. Will peels back the hastily refastened bandage. "Would you look at that?" Will moves to look at the other arm. Nico doesn't want to look at his scars, or at Will. He's afraid he won't be able to look away if he does. "It's nearly healed. I should have you up and running in another day or two, but I gotta level with you, man –"

Nico finally looks at him from under his too-long bangs. He waits.

"You _need_ to lay off the shadow-travel. It's not doing your health any favors. Even after you rest few weeks, another jump or two could kill you."

Nico glances down again. Will's holding his wrist. He turns it, trying to free himself, but Will holds fast.

"Easy there. I'm only taking your pulse."

Nico's heart jumps; he silently curses.

"It's really fast now. You wanna sit down?"

Unable to come up with a suitable retort, Nico pulls his hand free the second Will lets up on the pressure and returns to his bed. He sits on it and looks around. "I need to find a shirt to wear. I'm not sure what happened to the one I had on."

Will's cheeks redden and he suddenly looks as though he's not used to being in his body, like his legs are too long for his brain to control. Nico stifles a laugh at the thought.

"Uh, yeah. The tropical number? You want to put it back on? It's still a bit bloody."

"No. I'm told I smell like death enough as it is without walking around in bloodstained clothes." He pulls his legs back up and stretches out on the bed, resting against his pile of pillows. Except for the elephant in the room – the one he's desperately trying to avoid thinking about, but that seems to be having an effect on Will all the same – Nico's pretty comfortable here. Until Will brightens as if he's had a brainwave and pulls his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt off. Nico's mouth goes dry as he takes in Will's casually ripped and tanned torso. It's exactly the same as in his dream.

"Wear this," he says and tosses the shirt to Nico. "I've got another in my cabin, and I can just wear a doctor's smock while I'm here."

He doesn't put on a doctor's smock right away. Instead he looks out the window, fingers clenching and unclenching. It's like he's working up the nerve to say something.

Nico doesn't have time for worrying about what Will might or might not say. Or – he supposes he _does_ have the time, doctor's orders and all – but he's uncomfortable enough as it is without having to witness Will being an idiot. He pulls the shirt on, sniffing quickly as he does. It smells like Will, of coconut tanning oil, and the lingering scent underneath – the smell of the muscles of sweat, of man – has Nico breathing faster.

Will looks back at Nico, and then folds his blanket. Nico realizes he's trying to keep his hands occupied so he doesn't fidget.

What's the matter with you?" Nico asks straight out. "You seem jumpy."

The question seems to knock Will even more off-balance. He shakes his head like he's trying to clear water from his ears, his reddened cheeks going redder.

Nico narrows his eyes.

"Erm … that is to say … " Will starts, then throws up his hands like he's done pretending. He moves closer until he and Nico are looking at each other, only a couple of feet apart. "Did you dream last night?" Will sounds nervous, resigned, and the truth – in all it's humiliating glory – hits Nico like a slap to the face. He dream-traveled and … oh Hades.

_No fucking way._

He slips out of bed and is on his feet in a second, his heart loud in his ears, barely aware of Will rushing to join him. Nico can't help it. The tiles under his feet blacken, shadows growing and stretching towards him, extending like the fingers of Achlys, moving ever closer, boxing him in. His heart drops in his stomach at the sight of fear and disgust he sees in Will's eyes.

"Nico, stop," Will says. He looks aghast, like he's finally seeing Nico in his true form – a dark taint on the world. "I can explain …"

"No!" Nico shouts. He's shaking all over, his legs growing weak. He's got to get out of here. He's done enough damage as it is. "I get it. I'm leaving."

"Don't you dare," Will says, grabbing his arm, but it's too late. Nico dissolves into the shadows, slipping away like the last breath of a dying child.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Summary: Nico, according to Hazel, is an idiot at times. Reyna agrees.

notes: _You are not alone. You are a part of the Olympian family. The gods have not abandoned you._ Chapter XLVIII, BoO

XxxX

Nico slowly comes back to himself, an enormous domed ceiling swimming before his eyes, fading in and out of focus, and giving him the sensation he's looking at it from underwater.

A thundering sound reaches Nico's ears, but he can't feel his body enough to try to turn his head, and settles for staring straight upwards. Reyna's face rises before his eyes, and it's such a welcoming sight – _safe, I'm safe now _– that Nico is ready to close his eyes and slip into sleep.

"Don't you dare, Nico!" Reyna says, her eyes fierce. They seem to draw his attention like a magnet, fixing him in place. "You're more shadow than substance. Keep your eyes on me. As soon as I can touch you, I'll lend you some strength. Just don't even think of fading!"

He hears her, but finding the will to pull himself together proves harder than he wants to admit. No matter what he does, he messes things up. He'd been ready to make a go of it at Camp Half-Blood, to try to live a life for once – and then Will Solace happened – and he's just no good with the feelings Will forces him to face.

He thinks Reyna must have found a part of him to hold onto, lending him her strength. He hears the same whispering voice in his head that he'd heard when Reyna had delivered the Athena Parthenos. You are not alone. _You are a part of the Olympian family. The gods have not abandoned you._

He licks his lips, feeling them for the first time in gods knows how long. He has no idea how long he's been here, pooling in a shadowy mess on the Senate House floor. Reyna smiles down at him and it's enough. He feels not-quite-whole again, but put together enough to speak. The swimming focus of his vision stabilizes.

"How long?" Nico rasps. He swallows. Reyna helps him sit up, and then takes a seat beside him, her arm around his shoulders, giving him some support to lean upon. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know. I was coming in to prepare for a Senate meeting and you were just here. Let me know when you can stand. I want you to be seen by a physician."

_Just what I need, another physician._

"Right." Nico remains silent for a long time, and Reyna doesn't push him to talk.

XxxX

It's nearing noon when Nico is left alone in another damned infirmary. He sighs. He's been poked, prodded, and even X-rayed. He feels a bit like an owl with his feathers askew. He settles back on the hospital bed – this one only has one pillow – and even though he feels like he's falling apart at the seams, the scent of Will on his T-shirt is a source of comfort he doesn't want to talk about.

He lifts the front of his shirt up over his nose – probably making him look like he's trying pull off a gothic-bandit style – and breathes deeply, closing his eyes and thinking about _what ifs._

And then Hazel enters the room.

"What are you doing?" she asks, giggling.

He pulls the front of his shirt back down and pushes himself up on his elbows, then winces – his arms don't feel quite as well healed as they had before he shadow-traveled. He lies back down again. "Hey," he says, holding out an arm toward her.

She rushes over and gives him a big, squishy, bent-over hug. The feel of her bouncy curls against his cheek – the scent of freshness, of growing things that clings to Hazel – makes him feel like he's home again. It's odd, though having more than one place to call home isn't such a hard pill to swallow. Hazel pulls back and finds a chair, then brings it over to sit beside him.

"So, you wanna tell me what you're doing here? Reyna says you nearly faded entirely." She's not smiling any longer. Reunion's over, now to get down to brass tacks.

Nico throws an arm over his eyes. "Do I have to?" he asks, aware of the childish whine in his voice, but too tired to deal with it.

"Does it have to do with a certain son of Apollo?"

He moves his arm to his forehead and glances at her with shadowed eyes, but doesn't say anything. He hopes the warmth spreading across his face isn't visible.

"Oh, Nico. You just can't catch a break, can you?" Hazel's comforting New Orleans accent making him want her to do all the talking. "So what happened? He try to kiss you? He touch you wrong?"

Nico groans and covers his face with his hands. "Worse," he says, muffled.

"Uh-oh. Tell me about it. I'm not gonna laugh."

Nico puts his hands at his sides. He feels better when he talks to Hazel, or even to Reyna, hell, even Jason. He can do this. He sits up, feeling a bit dizzy, but balances himself by crossing his legs and hunching so his forearms rest on his knees. He swears he hears a cricket chirp. "All right. I accidentally dream-traveled. I um – thought it was just a dream."

Hazel's eyebrows rise so high, her forehead looks like it's shrinking.

"He was dreaming about taking a shower."

She starts fanning herself with her hands.

It's a bit ridiculous, but watching Hazel overheat just hearing this much makes the whole thing seem funny instead of mortifying. "Yeah, and I, um … wasn't shy about anything. I thought it was just a dream."

"Is it hot in here?" Hazel asks. She doesn't wait for an answer, but opens the door and props it, then the window.

Nico laughs. It feels good, actually – shocking his sister – just being heard. And then his stomach drops again, like he's swallowed a stone. His smile fades.

"But when I found out it wasn't just a dream, Will was falling all over himself. He didn't know how to even be in the same room as me. I think … I think he realized how messed up I am. The way he looked … afraid. It's gotta remind him death follows me. I couldn't take it. I freaked out. I just … " His eyes are wet, damn it. He waits for Hazel to look away before swiping them with his hands.

"You didn't want to be rejected." Hazel finishes for him.

He stops, pauses. That's exactly right, but he'd not really been thinking of it that way. "Yeah."

"Nico, you're an idiot sometimes."

He glares at her. She's smiling at him. She looks smug.

"That boy is mad about you. I mean, like, doe-eyed."

Nico rolls his eyes. He rests his chin on his fist. "Whatever."

"You don't believe me?" She huffs and sits back down, fixing him with her cut-the-crap face. "I have ears, and I have eyes. Lou Ellen, from Hecate Cabin, she's one of Will's best friends. I spent some time talking to her about the Mist, and mostly, she kept bringing the conversation round to you. I asked her what was up with that, and she flat-out told me, Will's got a huge crush and wants to find out all he can about 'that hot goth kid' from Hades cabin."

The knot in Nico's gut loosens. It's an odd, tickling sort of sensation. His cheeks must be red, as Hazel smirks at him, seemingly proud of her tip-top investigative skills.

"Why didn't you tell me about that before you left?"

Hazel shrugs. "You seemed to be figuring it out on your own. Thought it'd be best to let whatever attraction was there happen organically, you know?"

"So you think he wasn't disgusted by me? I mean, this morning."

"Honey, if he asked you about the dream right after it happened, and was falling all over himself with nerves, there's no way he was disgusted. You're reading your own masochistic expectations into other people again. That's the truth."

Nico yawns. He's beyond tired.

"How's it going in here?"

He blinks his heavy eyelids. Reyna's standing in the doorway. Thankfully Hazel answers for him.

"We're just having a talk about Nico being an idiot."

He revises his thoughts about being thankful for Hazel answering.

"Haha," he says flatly. He uncurls from his cross-legged position and lies down again, pulling the blanket up to his shoulders.

"Well, your suicidal shadow-jump into the Senate House was clue enough for me," Reyna adds. Nico doesn't care. These girls are the best. He doesn't mind them giving him a hard time. He yawns again.

Hazel smooths his hair back out of his eyes, his eyelids shutting on their own. "Why not think about giving this Will Solace a chance? Tell him you need to take it slow?"

He scrunches his face up, but underneath it all, he feels ten times lighter. "'kay," he says, and allows himself to succumb to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Summary: It has to hurt if it's to heal. 

XxxX

Nico wakes to the sound of shouting. His senses snap to high alert.

"Hey, it's alright," Hazel says. He turns. She's curled up with a blanket on a sofa Nico doesn't recall being there when he'd closed his eyes. "Reyna's gone to see what the commotion is."

"Did you sleep here? Reyna too?" He can't quite fathom the lengths his sister and friends go to for him.

Hazel nods. She pulls her knees to her chest and snuggles with her blanket. "Reyna wanted to make sure you didn't fade in your sleep. It was touch and go for a while. She coaxed you back a few times." There's a chastising tone to her voice that Nico suspects she's holding back for fear of scaring him off. His cheeks burn. _Why do I have to be so sensitive?_ The last thing Nico wants is to be a burden.

"Listen, Nico. You're gifted with the ability to shadow-travel, and it was awesome what you did to transport the Athena Parthenos, but you almost sacrificed your life in the process."

Nico shifts, not wanting to hear the criticism, but unable to not let Hazel have her say.

"You have friends now, people who care about you. Sacrificing yourself for no good reason is a pretty lousy way to return the sentiment."

"Yeah." He bites his tongue, allowing himself to feel the remorse his instincts tell him to repress. "Sorry about that. Will basically said the same thing."

The shouting outside grows louder. Nico throws back his blanket.

"Wait for Reyna to come back." Hazel's watching him like a hawk, like she's ready to incapacitate him if he tries anything stupid.

"I'm not leaving the room, just looking." He jumps out of bed and opens the door before she can protest. His stomach bottoms out again.

_Can't I catch a single break?_

Will Solace, surrounded by what looks like the entire First Cohort, marches with determination toward the infirmary, Reyna at his side. Will shouts over his shoulder at Mike Kahale, Octavian's successor as senior Centurion.

"I'll show you my letter after I've seen Nico! He shadow-traveled against medical advice! If that punk isn't already dead, I'm going to kill him!"

"I'll take care of it, Mike," Reyna calls, before Kahale has a chance to argue further. The Cohort falls back, but doesn't disperse, and Nico wants to hide as Will and Reyna approach.

Reyna separates Will from the crowd and escorts him to the infirmary.

"Speak of the devil," Will says as he steps through the open door. Nico refuses to back away, though all he wants to do is disappear. Instead, Will pushes right in, past Hazel, and grabs him by the shoulders. Surprisingly, since he's got murder in his eyes, he pulls Nico against his chest in a giant hug. Thankfully, it's not bone-crushing like Jason's hugs. "You are such a pain, you know that? I thought I'd lost you."

Nico's not sure how to react. He longs to melt into the embrace, and perhaps return it, but Hazel and Reyna are still in the room and he's frozen to the spot.

"We'll just wait outside," Hazel says. Nico, still trapped in Will's arms, looks to Reyna. She smirks at him, then follows Hazel outside, closing the door behind her.

"Um, yeah, sorry about that." He can't think what else to say. The hug is getting awkward.

Will finally releases him, but doesn't step back and his eyes are still angry. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Nico's not sure. His mind flashes back to his sister. How, the one time he'd accidentally gotten separated from her in a shopping center, she'd hugged him just like Will and demanded the very same thing. He'd felt comforted then, loved. What about him had changed so much that he hardly remembers the boy he once was?

"What's wrong with me, Will?" Nico asks, his voice nearly cracking. He's not going to cry, he tells himself. Thinking about Bianca does that sometimes, but not now, not here.

Will's coldness dissolves in an instant, his expression immediately changing to concern. He touches Nico's cheek with the side of his hand, as if afraid that anything more will be rebuffed. He's probably right. "What do you mean?"

Nico holds onto the heat pouring into him from the barest brush of Will's hand against his skin. It's keeping him solid, lending him strength. He wonders if Will's gift is similar to Reyna's, if Nico will draw too much from him and leave him sapped.

"Why don't I know how to do this 'people' thing? It wasn't always like this. I was a pretty normal kid …" He stops, not sure he wants to say the rest.

"Yeah, and then?" Will's voice is gentle, coaxing, too easy to give in to.

"Then I was freed from the Lotus Hotel only to find seventy years have passed, my mom's dead, my memories erased in the Lethe, and Hades is my dad. Then Bianca …" Nico can't stop the emotions from flooding him. The way he'd felt abandoned by his sister, how she was taken from him again by death, and then again through rebirth. Can't anybody let him recover before hitting him with another blow?

"I changed. How does that happen? That a person can go from being able to connect, and then not at all?" Nico's not sure he's making any sense, but Will seems to understand what he's asking.

Will takes Nico by the wrist and leads him to the sofa. They sit, but Will doesn't let go.

"Are you listening to a word you're saying, Nico?" Will's voice is soft. "I'd say that if you take a whole demigod and keep cutting chunks off him before allowing the wounds to heal in between, that some fundamental changes are going to happen to the whole. More than that, though, you're still you. You're stronger than any hero I've ever met."

Nico scowls and yanks his hand free, regretting it in an instant, but too proud to admit it. "Don't try to flatter me. It won't work." He stares at his bare feet on the floor, not even feeling the cold.

"Damn it, Nico," Will says, though Nico refuses to meet his eyes. "Do you know why I haven't slept in thirty-six hours? Why I had to beg a ride West from my dad – putting up with listening to him tell me stories about all the crazy stuff he's pulled in his years, all the while wondering if it was my fault you just risked dying to get away from me – why I fought my way into Camp Jupiter without thinking about securing permission or a letter, or whatever the hell they keep demanding to see? I don't _do_ things like this. It's totally not my style. I like to lie back, watch the clouds go by – let the other heroes go on quests and seek glory – work in the infirmary and just do my own thing."

Nico looks up at him, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why then? What's wrong with _you_?"

Will fixes Nico with a glare, not letting him look away. "For some inexplicable reason I was _worried_ about you. I was afraid you'd gone and killed yourself because I kept tripping over my own tongue and couldn't get the words out that still I need to say. I'm not normally like this, Nico. It's you. When I'm around you I'm thrown off-balance, like I've got mismatched legs, or my head's on backwards."

"That is _not_ my fault," Nico says. He sounds petulant, but how else is he supposed to respond? Will's practically blaming Nico for making him act like an idiot.

"You're right. It's not, but it's true all the same." Will grabs Nico's hand again and pulls it up to his chest. He stares straight into Nico's eyes. "I'm crushing on you so hard, Death Boy, I forget who I am. Is that clear enough? The dream – yeah, I thought it was just a dream too – it was the best thing ever. I wasn't nervous. You were all commanding and sure of yourself, not afraid to just take what you wanted. And you _wanted me_. Do you even know how much I'd kill to have that again?"

Nico's heart expands in his chest, beating so hard, like it wants to break free. Under Nico's palm, Will's heart seems to be in a similar state. Nico can't help it. Will's admission bolsters him – like Nico's actually worth fighting for. Will's face flushes hot, his breathing heavy from recent anger and embarrassment. "Will?"

"What?" Will's still looks a bit angry. Nico thinks it's a good look on him.

"Shut up." Nico grabs his shirt and yanks him over, doing it for him. They meet in a crash of lips and tongues, hands and arms, and Nico goes with it – connecting with another person again – for real this time. Will seems to have proven Nico is the same person he's always been.

Will breaks the kiss and pulls back, leaving Nico panting, nerves shot. "Sorry, Nico," he says, his hands shaking. "You're pretty intense. I think we need to slow down a little."

Nico's relieved to hear the words, but at the same time disappointed. "Yeah," he says. He's still wearing the awful yellow pajama bottoms from the infirmary at Camp Half-Blood, and they're noticeably tented in front. Will smirks at him, but doesn't draw attention to his predicament.

"All clear?" Reyna calls, and Nico nearly jumps out of his skin. "Yeah, come in, just gimme a sec." He looks at Will. "I just woke up after sixteen hours. I'll be back in a few minutes; make an excuse?"

Will laughs and winks. Nico makes a mad dash for the bathroom, relieved to not have to deal with sharing his embarrassment any further.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Summary: Nico's not very good at slowing down.

XxxX

"That makes a lot of sense. Focusing on prevention and health maintenance. You got a pen? I want to write your name down, keep in touch. Think I can make some changes back at Camp." Will's voice carries over to where Nico stands with Reyna outside the Senate House in New Rome. Will's making friends with the Roman healers.

Nico kicks a pebble across the flagstone path, glad for his new shoes. Reyna and Hazel had the foresight to do some shopping before coming back to the infirmary. He's never been more grateful for a set of black duds in his life.

"Hazel off doing Centurion duties?" Nico shoves his hands in his pockets, trying to focus on Reyna instead of watching Will. He fails.

"Yup," she says, yawning. A bust of Terminus behind them snores softly, and fatigue threatens to overtake Nico again. "I've got Frank covering Praetor duties for now. Just need to work out how long you and Solace plan to stay and arrange transport back. I took care of the paperwork for the visit. Figured it falls under emergency aid."

"Thanks," Nico says, bumping her elbow with his. "I think I've got transportation covered, though. I'll tell Jules-Albert to meet us outside the tunnel."

She laughs and ruffles his hair. "It's good to see you again, but next time, please try not to almost die on me?"

"Promise," he says, sparing her a sideways grin.

Reyna nods toward Will. "So, there a 'something' happening'?" She sounds like she's trying for casual, but the eagerness in her voice betrays her.

Nico shrugs, sighs. "Maybe. Listen, Reyna," he says, dropping his voice.

"Yeah?" She furrows her eyebrows, then grips his elbow. "Let's walk and talk."

He nods. Reyna releases him and he goes with her, though they keep Will in sight.

"I've been thinking a lot about what happened … you know, with …"

"Bryce Lawrence." Reyna levels her gaze on him. It's discomforting.

"Yeah," Nico says. "Will's a healer, you know, and when Octavian …" He leaves off. Reyna's heard about how it all played out.

She holds out a hand and catches his arm, stopping in front of the apothecary. The door is closed. Reyna glances at Will, and Nico follows her eyes. Will's blond hair shines in the sun, his smile nearly as bright. He seems to sense them looking and waves. They wave back.

"I think you can talk to him about it, Nico. He might not like what he hears, but Octavian and Bryce were very much like rabid dogs – they needed to be put down."

He tries to interject, but Reyna silences him with a look and a slight shake of her head.

"I know what you're going to say – that it wasn't your place to pass judgement and then carry out the sentence. And you're not wrong, but in times of war …" She shrugs. "Needs must."

Nico lets out a long breath. "Yeah. I guess." His eyes wander on their own back to Will. "I'll talk to him about it. I've got to. But, now," he yawns, "I've gotta get some shut eye."

Reyna chuckles and yawns, too. "Bastard. Those are contagious, you know."

Will slaps the physician who had overseen Nico's care the day before on the shoulder and then walks toward them, raising his hand in greeting.

"How you hanging in there, di Angelo?" Will asks, his eyes dancing.

Nico's cheeks heat up. "Sleepy, Solace. You ready to jet?"

Will nods, and turns to Reyna, holding out his hand. They shake. "Thanks, Praetor – for looking out for him. I owe you one."

Reyna smirks, as though she's trying to keep from grinning. "I'll hold you to that, Will Solace. Please, call me Reyna. A friend of Nico's and all that."

Will turns to Nico. "How do you want to get back to camp, Death Boy?"

Nico scowls, then quips back: "I've got it covered, _Sunshine_."

Will frowns, narrows his eyes. "If you're thinking of shadow-traveling, you can for–"

"I've got a car waiting," Nico snaps.

Will raises his eyebrows, and holds out his arm for Nico to take.

Reyna chuckles again and Nico's face flames. He looks at Will's eyes, at the challenge in them. _How serious you gonna be, Death Boy?_ they seem to say.

Nico's too tired to argue. "Whatever," he mumbles under his breath and takes Will's arm, hooked at the elbows and hands. "Later, Reyna. Tell Hazel and Frank to Iris message me, will you?"

Reyna agrees with a wave goodbye. "Don't be strangers," she calls as Nico guides Will to the turnpike, even if Will thinks he's the one leading the way.

"Did you really just call me Sunshine?" Will asks as they approach the tunnel.

Nico smiles and ducks into the darkness, pulling Will along by the hand. "Hey, if you can get away with calling me Death Boy without me smiting your ass, it's only fair."

Will's laughter echoes off the dark walls. "It's alright. I like it." 

XxxX

Riding back to camp, Nico and Will sit side by side in the back seat. Will insists on it. _You'll be able to rest your head on my shoulder._

Nico's not complaining. It feels nice to have a place to rest his head. His vision blurs with exhaustion. Will tightens his grip on their clasped hands in his lap.

"What?" Nico asks, drowsy from the rocking of the car on the highway.

"You didn't mention having a car waiting meant summoning a zombie," Will chides.

Nico chuckles, yawns again. He can't find it in himself to complain about Will's coddling. "He's not so bad once you get used to him. He just focuses on the road and doesn't give the slightest damn what goes on back here."

Will inhales, sharp, a jolt of arousal flooding Nico's nerves. "That's not what I meant, Nico," Will says, his voice low, gravelly. Nico's muscles relax, like he's being coaxed open. "And you're not very good at the whole taking things slow thing, are you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nico mumbles, his eyelids drooping.

Will nods at where Nico's guided their clasped hands, Nico's forearm rubbing up and down Will's groin. Nico's fully alert in a second, aware the hard length he's been fascinated by isn't a seatbelt. He tries to pull away, but Will catches his chin with his free hand, and holds their faces nose-to-nose, breathing his words: "it's fine."

Nico falls face forward into the kiss, meeting mouths, lips, tongues. When they break apart, they're both trembling, and there are about a hundred thousand tiny fingers tickling under Nico's skin, waking nerves and fibers he'd never thought were sensitive.

He relaxes against Will, contented. Will's arm draped over his shoulders, warms him all the way through. Sleep claims him before he has time to overthink anything, and even that isn't so bad.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Summary: Accidental frotting is just one of life's hazards.

Notes: I do hope you're enjoying the story so far. I'd love to hear what your favorite parts are and what you hope to see happen. Although Shelter is complete, there will be a sequel. I plan to begin writing it in February, so my muse welcomes reader input! 

XxxX

The car ride is long, though Nico sleeps through most of it. When they finally arrive at Camp Half-Blood, he has vague recollections of being shaken awake by Will insisting they need a pit stop, and Jules-Albert won't stop driving for Will.

"Nico, I seriously have to piss."

Nico blinks awake. "Jules, pit stop."

Jules-Albert makes such a sharp turn off the road, they're thrown sideways in the seat, seatbelts cutting into their guts, and Nico landing on top of Will.

"Dude, you're on my bladder," Will groans.

"Sorry, man," Nico says, shaking his bangs out of his eyes. "Umm, can you … give me a push?"

Will shoves Nico over and Nico rights himself, head spinning.

Will instantly snaps to doctor mode. "Stay here," he says, then points at the driver. "Tell him to wait. I'll be back in a minute."

Nico nods and relays the message, then slumps against the back of the seat, staring at the giant red and green sign over the shop window. _Quickie Mate? _He shakes his head. It can't actually say that. Never mind, he doesn't care what the fucking sign says, and he closes his eyes. It feels like half a second later when the door opens and a draft swoops in. Nico opens his eyes a crack as Will sets a bag of snacks and bottled water behind the driver's seat. "Come on, kiddo. You need to unload too."

Nico glowers at Will. "What are you talking about?" he snaps, but climbs out of the car anyway, weak on his feet. He leans on Will and follows him inside. "How old are you, Will, that you can call _me_ kiddo?"

Will laughs. "Sorry about that. I call everybody kiddo at one point or another. I think I even said it to Mr. D once, but he seemed flattered."

Nico stares at Will, unable to fathom where this guy comes from. "You didn't answer my question."

Will pulls the door to the shop open and Nico steps through, tripping over the welcome mat, but Will holds him steady. "Right. According to your medical chart I've got about a month and half on you. Now shut up and let's go."

They stumble to the bathroom and Will guides Nico into a stall. "Damn it, Solace. I don't need help taking a piss."

Will shuts himself in the stall with Nico. "Let me help you with your pants and then you'll sit."

Nico doesn't stop Will from fumbling with his zipper; he's too exhausted to argue. He finally drops onto the toilet. "You read my medical record wrong, Solace. I'm eighty-four. Now get the fuck out so I can piss in peace."

Will snorts. "Righto, Gramps. But no need to be shy, you've got nothing I haven't seen before."

"Shut up. I want privacy."

Will holds up his hands, placating. "I'll be right outside. I'm a healer, I can be professional."

Nico shoos him away and then slumps over his knees, staring unfocused at the floor. He's so weak he can't keep himself upright, but at least he manages to relieve his bladder before blacking out. 

XxxX

"What, huh?" Nico says, opening his eyes. He's back in the car again, resting his head on Will's chest. He has the urge to straighten up, but it's really warm, really comfortable. Will's arm is wrapped around Nico's shoulder, his hand resting on Nico's side. "What happened?"

"Hey, don't worry about it. I got you."

Will presses a small kiss to Nico's forehead, and Nico can't find it in himself to scowl. It kind of feels _nice_. "Hey, Will?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." Nico finds Will's free hand resting in his lap and gives it a small squeeze.

"That's what friends are for," is the last thing he hears. 

XxxX

Nico knows nothing more until the car pulls to an abrupt stop. It's dusk again. He sits up all the way, wiping sleep from his eyes, able to support himself at last. His stomach growls.

"Feeling better?" Will asks.

Nico stretches. Better is putting it mildly. He feels fantastic, ready to take on whatever obstacle is stupid enough to cross him. And then he looks at Will. Will looks wan, hands trembling. "You fucking idiot! Did you just pour _all_ of your healing into me? Will, shit!"

Will laughs weakly. "Dude, don't even start on _me_ about stupid self-sacrifice."

Nico rakes his hands through his hair, yanking on it. "What the hell is it gonna look like? Me, son of Hades, dragging your ass up to the big house, drained to the point you're half-dead?"

_I'm not freaking out; I'm just angry. Get a grip, di Angelo_.

"Kiss it better," Will says, practically mumbles.

"What the Styx is that even supposed to mean?"

Will's eyes are level, serious, despite his breathing growing more labored. "Exactly how it sounds."

Nico's not going to let this jerk give his health up to fix _him_. He strong-arms Will upright, unfastens their seatbelts, and pins him against the seat back. Then Nico climbs onto Will's lap, knees on either side, holding his face in both hands. "Don't even think about passing out, Solace." He presses his lips to Will's – cold – but keeps going anyway. He teases Will's lips with small swipes of his tongue until they part, warming beneath Nico's, moving in slow tandem.

Nico's heart beats a tattoo in his chest as he deepens the kiss. Encouraged as Will keeps pace with him, his breaths strengthening, huffing against Nico's cheek. His hands grip Nico's hips, burning heat through Nico's clothes. Nico moves from Will's lips to his face, planting small kisses over his cheeks and nose. Pressing foreheads, Nico stares at Will's parted lips, kiss-plump in the fading light. When Will squeezes Nico's ass, Nico comes back to himself and pushes back a ways, looking down at Will's flushed face.

"You're a natural," Will says, his eyes twinkling, though his body still looks thoroughly wrecked.

Nico grunts and climbs off him. "I swear to Hades, Solace. If you're faking so you could get me to make out with you …"

Will chuckles and then coughs.

Nico opens the car door and pulls Will out behind him. Nico props Will up with his shoulders. "Thanks for the ride, Jules."

The zombie driver flips them off and jets away, tires screaming and kicking up dirt.

"Nice guy," Will says, then shivers.

"Yeah, well, he gets his kicks where he can. C'mon."

He half-drags, half-carries Will up the dirt drive to the big house.

"You're a lot stronger than you look," Will observes.

Nico rolls his eyes. "Trust me, Solace. You have no idea."

Chiron rises from his wheelchair on the porch, transforms into full centaur mode, and gallops to meet them. "Monster attack?" he asks, concerned.

Nico helps hoist Will up onto Chiron's back, then walks alongside him. "Nah, just a little overdose of healing."

Chiron hums, thoughtful. "There's nobody on duty in the infirmary tonight. Curfew was half an hour ago."

"I don't need the infirmary," Will insists. "Just sleep. I can stay in Hades cabin tonight, so I don't wake the rest of Apollo. And Nico can keep an eye on me."

Nico shoots Will an angry glance.

_Smug son-of-Apollo. Just assuming he's welcome_.

Chiron seems to find Nico's reaction amusing, and Nico searches for a change of subject. "Where are the harpies? I haven't seen them around for a while."

"I've got them clearing out the boat house tonight," Chiron says. "Even the harpies have had their fill of shed demigod blood. Until Mr. D comes back, I don't have the heart to set them on the campers."

Nico stops short when he realizes Chiron has walked them to cabin 13. Will climbs off his back. His color doesn't look as bad as it had, but Nico can see he's dead on his feet.

"You two get some sleep. We're all still recovering," Chiron says, and heads back toward the big house, presumably taking the place of night-watchman.

Nico clears his throat. "Why would you even want to stay here? It's dreadful."

Will pushes past Nico and opens the door. He cocks an eyebrow. _Cocky brat_.

"I want to keep an eye on you too. Make sure you actually get your full three days' rest. I hope you'll do the same for me." His face is open, not hiding anything, and despite his protests to the contrary – Nico admits, if only to himself – he doesn't really mind Will's bluntness.

Nico swallows, then nods. They walk into the cabin. Will slumps onto a coffin-shaped bunk, and rolls onto his side. "Night, di Angelo." He seems blissfully unaffected by the eerie green light from the everlasting fire climbing up the obsidian walls. His soft breathing evens out almost immediately.

Nico fetches an extra velvet blanket from the storage cabinet and drapes it over Will. _Definitely need to change these up ASAP._ Even though Nico has slept for a long time, nearly forty hours – however long it takes for Jules-Albert, driving like a bat out of hell, to traverse the continent – He yawns anyway. Nico figures one more night of rest will do him good.

He climbs into his own bunk and is out cold moments later. 

XxxX

_Acrid air, the taste of metal scraping the back of his throat. His hair sticking to his face, trickling with blood from cutting down an arai. And then surrounded again. Fear. Giants, dracanae – so many monsters – Tartarus. Closed inside a bronze jar with only his screams for company.__And then there's light, and warmth. A whisper, not alone. The sense of home, of childhood, of belonging. The smell of freedom, fresh air, and ... pineapple?_

Nico opens his eyes. He's back in Hades cabin. The obsidian reflects the dancing green flames across the ceiling. His hips are snugly trapped, his chest held by a pair of strong hands. Will's spooning him.

Nico's face burns as his body responds to Will's proximity. But instead of ignoring it, or doing anything proactive about it, he just lingers in the arousal. It's not a bad way to keep his nightmares at bay. His eyelids droop and he sleeps again. 

XxxX

"Mmmm."

Nico wakes to Will's breath hot on his cheek, his own breath catching in his throat as he's suddenly aware of the erection pressing up the crack of his ass. Yeah, they're both wearing jeans, but still … He groans, pressing a hand to his groin. It comes out sounding more like a needy whimper than he intended. _Kill me now. _

"Wha– Oh, morning." Will's body stiffens behind Nico, as he's just realized the predicament they're in. He starts to pull away. And Nico – his arm acting entirely of its own accord – holds Will's leg in place, not letting him leave. He takes a few shuddering breaths, so close to coming he can't think.

"Nico?" There's a trace of panic in Will's voice, and that little bit of fear, of longing – acts like an injection of lust to Nico. His eyes fly open and, faster than Will can react, pins Will to the bed and straddles his waist.

"You said you like when I take charge, Solace?" Nico's shaking so hard, it's hard to stay present. He drops his voice. "Tell me to stop. Tell me to stop right now, 'cause if you don't do it now, I don't know if I can."

Will's eyes grow wide, pupils blown to the point the blue is a thin ring around them. "Don't stop," he whispers, pure music.

Nico groans, starting deep in his chest, bubbling up behind his lips. He shifts his hips, arching his back perpendicular to Will, held in place by Will's hands on his hips. He sinks backward, rubbing against Will's denim-covered bulge. Nico's far gone watching Will, his mouth open, gasping as he tries to control Nico's movements with his hands. _Good luck with that_.

Nico peels Will's hands from his hips and deliberately puts them on his fly. He watches, bumping Will's bulge while Will fumbles his pants open, and Nico sighs, relieved as his cock springs free, tenting his boxers.

He leans forward, bracing himself with his hands, until Will steadies him on his chest. They kiss – tasting, gasping – while Nico pushes the front of his boxers down. Will's bared abs provide the perfect friction. Rutting, and kissing, Will squeezes Nico's ass through his jeans, bucking his hips. Until Nico comes with a choked sob, spilling over Will's stomach – relief and utter bliss crashing through him, over him, under him. Will breathes harshly into Nico's mouth, pulling their groins together, his limbs rigid, and follows with a cry of his own.

They stare at each other, coming down, eyes full of wonder and _holy Styx, did that just happen_? Will goes red, then screws up his face.

"I just came in my pants."

Nico can't help it. Laughter bubbles up from his stomach, beginning as a simple chuckle, and then Will joins in. He's not sure what it is they're laughing at. Perhaps it's a side-effect of awesome sex, if what they just did even counts as sex. Whatever it counts as, Nico's drunk on it.

He climbs off Will and tucks himself back into his boxers. "I'll, um … I mean, come on. Let's shower. Then you've gotta get out of here."

Will's smile makes his face shine gold, or maybe it's the wild bedhead. He gets up and follows Nico to the bathroom.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Summary: Nico realizes he has to level with Will, and though it freaks him out, he's going to do it.

XxxX

At breakfast, Nico scoops a spoonful of his oatmeal and tosses it and an apple slice into the brazier as a tribute to his father. Then he tucks in at the table he shares with Jason and sometimes, Percy. His spoon scrapes the bottom of his bowl before he knows it, his stomach growling for more. He can't quite keep from smiling into the empty bowl as he reaches for his sliced apple. If anything, Will's got the gift of getting him to eat.

"Hey, man," Jason says, taking the seat across from Nico. He's frowning, and his forehead wrinkles in the middle. Jason's expression, with the addition of his glasses, makes Nico think of a scientist puzzling over an unexpected turn in an experiment.

"What's up, Grace?" Nico asks, he peels the skin off his apple slice with his teeth, then bites it in half.

Jason studies his hands, clasped in front of him on the tabletop, then looks up at Nico from under shadowed brows. "When were you going to tell me about Will Solace? Are we friends or not?"

Nico pauses, then pops the other half of the apple slice into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. He clears his throat. "What do you mean?" He's not sure why Jason is acting so butt hurt. It's not his business who Nico's interested in, not really, but Nico's gut twinges uncomfortably all the same.

"Nico," Jason says, lowering his voice and leaning in closer. "He's sleeping in your bed with you, and you're going to deny it?"

Nico sets down the piece of apple that was halfway to his mouth. He frowns, then hisses. "Now you're coming into my cabin while I'm sleeping? That's not cool."

Jason has the decency to attempt to look ashamed, but it doesn't stop him from pushing. "Look, Nico. Just be careful, okay? You're _fourteen_ …"

Nico narrows his eyes and folds his arms across his chest. "I'm older than I look and you know it. You have no say in what I choose to do with my life."

"Alright, fine," Jason hisses back. "_He's_ fourteen then. Just because he's built doesn't change that fact."

Nico's retort dies on his lips. _Damn_. His mind whirls. Had he coerced Will earlier? He's not sure. He remembers asking him to say if he wanted to stop, and Will had said, 'don't stop', but … not before Nico worked him up and … His brain hurts. It wasn't planned, wasn't really his fault. He keeps his face neutral, but inside he's cringing.

Nico pushes the rest of his apple away. He's not hungry anymore.

"Hey, I don't mean to put you off your food. You're a good guy. I just don't want to see either of you getting in too deep, you know?"

Nico swallows. He's already in too deep. That's how he rolls, deep. Considering the life expectancy of most demigods outside of camp, hell, lately even inside camp, Nico's fine with getting down and dirty a bit. But damn it if Grace doesn't make a good point. Yeah, he's got to have the dreaded talk with Will sooner than later, now with added baggage. Nico's always been ace at digging his own grave. If he avoids talking to Will about Bryce and the darkness inside himself, he'll be a fraud. Maybe he's already crossed that line.

"I know," Nico says, his voice dull.

"I'm not going to tell anybody, but really, _you_ need to soon," Jason says. He is lecturing, but at least he's not angry or acting disgusted about it. "This isn't the sort of thing you can keep quiet at camp."

Nico stares at the long shadow the table makes on the ground, longing to jump into it. But he's done running. 

XxxX

It's not until campfire that Nico finds a chance to pull Will aside. Nico had spent most of the day arguing with the Hephaestus campers about their resistance to burning Leo's shroud. He thinks the compromise they've struck is honorable. Leo always did do things differently.

They walk side by side to the Arts and Crafts cabin while Will talks about his plans to develop a fitness program to add to the Camp itinerary – with a focus on health maintenance and accident prevention – and then they sit on the porch steps, falling silent. Nico suspects Will's been anticipating this conversation as much as he has, and, now that they're having it, it's hard to start.

"So," Will says, his usual brazen way of calling things as he sees them seems to have mellowed. "I like you." He absently rubs the back of his neck. "I think you know that. And I think you're holding back telling me something you think I'm not going to like hearing, right?"

Nico nods, looking out toward the empty volleyball court.

"But I also think I'm right in thinking you're pretty into me too, yeah?"

Nico turns and looks at him. Will's eyes are earnest, almost worried. It's adorable, though he's not going to tell Will that. "Yeah. You get under my skin, but … I like it. I like you ... a lot." He looks away again before he accidentally falls into another unplanned make-out session that he can't control.

Will hums under his breath. "Right. So, I guess I'm just waiting for the _but_. Anytime you're ready, I guess I'm ready to hear it."

They are quiet again for a few minutes while Nico works out what he's going to say, his mind fumbling over how to phrase things. There has to be a way to say it, that doesn't sound like: _You know how you call me Death-Boy? Well I killed another boy about our age in cold blood, turned him into a ghost, and then banished him, in addition to the death I wouldn't let you stop happening. It's my hobby._

He glances back at the image of Apollo painted on the door of the cabin, then back at the court, now falling into darkness. "You know how we, as demigods, are born with gifts from our godly parent? You've got healing, an ear-splitting whistle," Nico says. He's just going to start talking and try to get it all out without letting Will interrupt.

"I know about your powers, Nico." Will's voice is quiet, hesitant, but there's no judgement in it Nico can sense … yet.

"Octavian," Nico says, not missing Will's quick intake of breath. "My father visited me in a Chapel of Bones in Portugal, right before the werewolf …" He runs his fingers up his left arm, shivering. "He told me that some deaths should not be prevented, that I'd know when the time came."

Will exhales through his nose. Nico looks at him, and doesn't move away from the reassuring touch of Will's hand on his cheek. "I thought about that a lot at first, and then it clicked into place that you knew what you were doing, that you might have been following a god-given direction. Nico, I know there's darkness in the underworld, and that is where your powers are fuelled, but I'm alright with it, with you. You're not your father, and you're not evil."

Nico leans into the warmth of Will's hand, and then the image of Bryce Lawrence, voiceless, trapped in the ground, and then dissipating like smoke at his command rises behind Nico's eyelids. He shudders, and even Will pulls back his hand.

"What was that?" Will whispers. Nico wants to curl up in a ball and hide from the universe, but he resists.

"Will," Nico manages, his voice hoarse. "If we are ever gonna have a thing, or be … uh, anything … I need to be honest with you about what you'll be getting with me."

Will stays quiet, but doesn't leave. Nico pushes on, talking to his shoes. "There _is_ darkness in me. I've done …" He stops, takes a deep breath. "There was this guy, a Roman legacy of Orcus, god of punishment. He caught us off guard – me, Reyna, and Coach Hedge. He was scary, Will." Nico stops again; he's shaking all over. "Tortured animals for fun, experimented on them … He laughed while telling us he'd even killed his own Centurion. And then he was going to hurt Reyna; he said he wanted to see how much torture Hedge could take before reincarnating. And … he called up an army of skeleton warriors. I was fading after my last shadow-travel, but even if I hadn't been weak, they wouldn't acknowledge me … I don't really remember it all, but it comes back in bits and pieces, and Reyna filled me in afterwards … I turned him into a ghost …" Nico's voice drops even lower. "… took his identity from him, his voice, and banished him. I can't even sense his presence in the Underworld. I think I … just … _obliterated_ him."

Nico's shaking so badly, he's afraid to try to speak again for fear of stuttering. A heavy bead of cold sweat splashes the back of his hand from his temple. He squeezes his eyes shut, waiting. And then, Will's warm hand covers the back of his neck, sends small explosions of light and life sparking down his spinal cord. He turns to look and Will meets his gaze. There isn't any fear in Will's eyes that Nico can see.

"During times of war …" Will stops, shakes his head. "Nico, you know you made the right call there, right?"

Nico wrinkles his forehead. "You don't think, well … dark … overboard …"

_Hades, I'm making zero sense._

Will moves his hand and settles it on Nico's thigh, scooting closer on the porch so their hips nearly touch. "It's really been eating you up inside, hasn't it? Keeping that secret?"

Nico starts. He's not sure which secret Will's referring to, and then that makes him realize just how many there have been. He nods once, then stares at his shoes again.

"Sociopaths don't realize they're crazy. They kill and let the guilt wash away without touching them, like they're protected by a greasy layer of evil. That's not you, Nico. That's like the _opposite_ of you. You're right that the idea of being able to just vaporize a person scares me, that it's a power I can't condone, but hell … If ever there was a time or place … You're not a bad person."

The words sink into Nico like a soothing balm, even allowing the sensation of Will pulling away to not hurt as much as it could. Will gets to his feet, stretching as the last sliver of sunlight slips beyond the horizon, out of sight.

Nico looks up at him. "Now _I_ get the sense that there's a 'but' coming."

Will gives him a crooked half-smile. "This morning," he starts.

Here it comes, as Nico knew it would. It doesn't seem to matter what he does: staying quiet – he startles people; smiling at them – they find it creepy; waking up with a snuggling boy – yeah, moves too fast.

"I'm really not sorry it happened. You seem to have a talent for getting me hot, but I think we ought to try to cool our jets a bit. Too much, too soon – sorta asking for trouble, right?"

Nico stands up, but the fight has gone from him, Will isn't being aggressive at all, he's just being – well, Will. Nico focuses on Will's shoulder as he talks; it hurts less than saying it to his face. "Look, Solace, if you want to end ... mmmph."

Will's hand stops him finishing. He shakes his head, and waits for Nico to meet his eyes. He uncovers Nico's mouth, but holds onto his chin. "I know I come off strong sometimes. I'm pushy; I'm bossy; I'm a bit callous ... But I do _not_ want to end anything. You'd know it if I did." He drops his hand, and Nico can't bring himself to look away. Is it even possible that Will is being completely honest with him? That he's not – intentionally or not – going to stomp Nico's heart in the dust?

Will's eyes widen. He's brimming with nervous energy. "I just need a little space, some time to process my feelings. You do too. I'd rather …" He changes tack. "I mean to say, I hope you will want to process it too, and not all by yourself. You've got friends. We've both got friends, better than family really, or for me that's how it is." He scrubs at the back of his head. "See? I'm all thumbs again. Catch up with you tomorrow?"

Nico nods. Will leans forward for a kiss, then hesitates. "It's okay?" Nico nods again. Will grins and places a chaste peck on Nico's lips.

Nico watches Will head off towards the Hecate and Hypnos cabins, visiting friends. Nico stands outside the Arts and Crafts cabin for several long minutes, amazed he just had the dreaded talk with Will and seems to have come through it unscathed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Summary: Nico's going to try to "process" his feels, but for some reason, everything around him is just sort of off. 

XxxX

Nico walks back to Hades cabin, lighter on his feet than he's used to feeling. The aura of camp is different somehow. The warm August air smells sweet, the gentle breeze caressing his arms and face, soft. It seems to send a jolt of white heat through him, dissipating just as quickly, a dull ache lingering in his sword arm. Another gust. He whips around, drawing his blade, his eyes narrowed, but everything is as it should be.

Nico picks up his pace. The obsidian walls seem less solid than usual, the skull hanging over the doorway glowing silver, though Nico's not sure what it's reflecting. It's too early to be the moon. His hackles rise again and he jumps the steps onto the porch, sword at the ready, his arm throbbing.

Piper shrieks, clutching her chest.

"What are you doing here?" Nico demands, heart racing a mile a minute, eyes scanning everything, his senses on high alert.

She shakes her head, and takes deep breaths, calming down. "Sorry, Nico. Jason and I were looking for you. He said you had a rough day. Gods, I'm still shaking."

Nico takes in her appearance. She looks as she always does: dressed simply in jeans and a camp T-shirt, a russet-colored feather tied in her hair. He lowers his sword, not sure why he hadn't immediately. It has to be pent up nervous energy from psyching himself up to talk to Will, and then he'd not spent it all by the end of their conversation.

Nico slips his sword back in its scabbard on his belt. It fades from sight but for the handle which camouflages itself as a silver loop. He turns his hands toward her, palms up. "Sorry I scared you. I had a hunch that something was off, and … it's fine now." His senses sink back to usual awareness, leaving only the slightest prickle on his skin. Goosebumps.

"You doing okay?" Piper asks, her voice still shaken.

"Um, yeah." Nico shrugs, catching himself as he starts fiddling with his skull-adorned ring.

_I don't need to be nervous. I'm supposed to processing my feelings, or something. I can do this, just get it over with, and then maybe … sleep._

"So, where's Jason?" Nico asks. It's not that he doesn't like Piper personally. They've just never really spent much time talking before, not without the others present, and, he reminds himself, she's a half-sister of Eros. Nico shivers again, his sword arm twinging where Eros had struck it with an arrow. He doesn't want to revisit that memory.

"I'm not sure. He said we should make sure you were okay, but then he saw Lou Ellen and told me he'd meet me here after he talked to her."

"Right." Nico frowns. Jason is a nice guy, probably the only one he trusts to not trash talk him behind his back, and yet he seems to be getting pretty close in Nico's business – even coming into his cabin while he sleeps, and now he's talking to Will's best friend. Yeah, something's gotta give there. Jason's overstepping Nico's boundaries quite a bit.

"You want to hang out? Play some cards or something?" Piper looks at him, eyes hopeful.

"I guess," Nico says, though he's not enthusiastic. He's just about done being social for the day.

"Great!" Piper pulls a blanket out of her purse and drapes it across the porch, then sits on it cross-legged.

He turns his ring a few times around his finger, and joins her for lack of an excuse not to. She doesn't seem to notice, too busy digging in her purse, searching for something. She pulls out a tatty paperback, sets it aside; three tubes of chapstick; and finally a pack of playing cards. "Here we go. I used to play this game all the time at the Wilderness School with Jason and … and Leo." She drops her voice when she mentions Leo's name, as if she'd forgotten mentioning him hurts.

Nico taps his fingers on his knees, past the point of done. But he's not going to ditch Piper when Jason's meeting her, and besides, he has a few choice words for Jason.

Piper shuffles the cards and then starts dealing, continuing until the entire deck is split in two even piles.

The game is easy to fall into, and Nico can't help but feel like Piper's being here is entirely surreal.

"So, Piper," he asks, the accompanying sound of slapping cards louder in his ears than he expects it to be. "What's Jason been talking about with Lou Ellen? It's not anything to do with me, is it?"

Piper focuses on the cards, slapping the top of Nico's hand more often than the deck of cards. Nico seems to have a knack for the game. "Oh, he didn't say anything about you. He wanted to talk to her about Apollo."

Nico misses a match and Piper scoops up the deck in triumph, turns it over in her hands and begins again. "Apollo?" Nico wasn't prepared for the turn in conversation.

"Yeah. He came by camp the other day and picked up Will Solace. Jason was up early and saw him. It's odd because the last time we saw Apollo, Zeus basically grounded him on Mt. Olympus. He blames Apollo for the mess with Gaea. I would've thought Apollo would be knee deep in some sort of punishment instead of having time to give rides to his demigod kids."

Nico scores the next jackpot and their hands are almost even. "So you think something's wrong then? That maybe he …" Nico stops talking. The vision he'd had of Ella reciting a random line of prophecy in a dream echoes inside his head, and he repeats it aloud, not really thinking about what he's saying. "The fall of the sun, the final verse."

"What was that?" Piper asks.

Nico looks up, surprised she's there. His skin crawls all over like he's having some heavy duty déjà vu. The card game they're playing – taking turns setting cards face up in a pile, watching for pairs of royals, a race to slap the deck first, winner takes all, and start again – it's hypnotic. He stops playing, his head clearing. He stares at Piper. "I heard Ella say that in a dream. She was feeding Mr. D's leopard head some cheetos."

Piper wrinkles her nose.

"What?"

"You think it's a prophecy?"

Nico shrugs. "I'm not sure. It probably is." He looks down the stairs of the porch, at the numerous cabins stretching past his. Only Nico's porch glows with Greek fire light. The rest are lit with regular light bulbs. Hypnos' cabin has theirs covered with a camp T-shirt, making the light glow orange. Nico's heart flips inside his chest. He spots Will through the window, and beside him, Lou Ellen. They appear to be taking turns arguing with Clovis, though Nico can't be sure it's him, as he can only make out the back of Clovis's leather armchair. There's no sign of Jason.

"Curfew's only about an hour from now," Nico says, clearing his throat. He tries to make his words sound inoffensive. "I sort of, um, I need to be alone for a while. You think you can find Jason on your own?

Piper looks up, like she's only now noticing he's there. The hair stands up on the back of Nico's neck and arms. "Oh, yeah." She takes the cards from Nico and stuffs them back in the pack, then puts it in her purse. They stand up and Nico grabs her blanket, handing it over. "Thanks for keeping me company, Nico," she tells him, and then walks toward the cabins without another word.

Nico fiddles with his ring a while longer before realizing he's doing it. He's not sure what sort of 'processing' spending time with other people is supposed to be good for, but whatever it is, it's a complete waste of time. He opens the door and kicks something with his foot. A paperback novel. Nico picks it up and takes it inside. Maybe some reading will take his mind off everything. He'll lose himself in some dumb story and not have to think about Will Solace, or Jason, or Apollo, or even Percy. But when he closes the door, the emptiness of the cabin bears down on him from all sides, boxing him in. He wonders if he's just getting used to being around people, and feels _off_ without them. He's not sure how he feels about that.

Nico approaches Hades's shrine in the corner and sinks to his knees before it. He lights a candle, and before really thinking it over, he's talking. "I'm feeling way out of my depths … I'm not sure how to deal with it. I guess I could use a little guidance. But, I'll be okay." Nico shakes his head at himself and blows out the candle. Stupid impulse really.

He throws himself on his bunk and looks at the book cover: **Shipwrecked**. _Great, a romance novel._ Nico rolls his eyes. _Just what I need_. But he turns to the first page anyway... 

XxxX

... a throat clears behind him, and Nico nearly jumps out of his skin.

"Dad!" He stashes the book under his pillow.

Hades, dressed in his usual black robes, shimmering with the screaming souls of the damned, stands at the foot of Nico's bed. His hair is back to shoulder length, and he stares at Nico with eyes like black tunnels. He fills the room with his presence, fuelling the Greek fire torches so they rise even higher, despite being sized like an average mortal man. "I thought you were planning to redecorate." His voice is heavy with regal sarcasm.

Nico scowls, and stands up. "There hasn't been time …" he starts to say and then changes his mind. "You know what? Never mind. I take my prayer back."

Hades grins at him. It's creepy.

Nico cringes, hoping his own creepy grin isn't quite as bad as his dad's.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Summary: Nico works his shit out (with a little help from friends, family, and a fictional pirate captain).

Notes: This is my favorite chapter yet! Please let me know what you think. Love? Like? Growing on you? Fungus on your shoe?

XxxX

"I am glad to see you are safe. That you've decided to take your place as head of my cabin here at camp."

It could be Nico's imagination but he swears Hades sounds almost _relieved_. If ever there was a time or place where Nico felt safe enough to come out to his father, this was it. But he suspects it may not be necessary. Perhaps Hades already knows. Maybe that's what his dumb dad jokes about interior decorating all allude to.

Nico takes a deep breath. It doesn't matter what his father thinks or not, what matters is that Nico tells him because he wants to, because he's ready. "Father," he says, then takes another shuddering breath. "I'm gay."

_I did it. Short, to the point, honest._

It's as if he's set down the weight of the world and stood up too quickly, whooping with his newfound freedom. Way too light. Killer vertigo. He sits back down on the side of his bed, holding on to the edge with his hands.

Hades hasn't said a word, not a peep. Nico hadn't expected to render a god speechless. _Shit. Is it that big of a deal?_

He chances a glance at his father and about faints at the sight that greets him. Hades is wiping tears from his eyes with his shroud of death. He's getting snot all over it. Even the souls woven into the fabric look like they want to shrink away from the godly secretions.

It's another long minute before Hades finds his voice. "Thank you for telling me, Nico. I'm sorry that …" Hades looks up at the ceiling of the cabin and waves his hand, shrouding the place with a curtain of darkness. "I don't care to share this conversation with my brother." He clears his throat and Nico's struck dumb. _His_ father does _not_ do this. His hand finds his sword handle and grips it tight. Hades laughs. The walls shake.

"You must think I'm an imposter." He reaches out a finger and touches Nico's forehead with its tip. In a flash Nico witnesses his father's anguish, recognizes that he is who he says he is, revisits the countless battles amongst the brothers – Hades always fighting to keep his children safe, and always losing – finally retreating to the Underworld home he's built where his palace will provide a sanctuary from Zeus's wrath should any of his children need it. And then he lost the last of them.

Hades withdraws and Nico stares at him, stunned.

"I apologize for saying your sister Bianca, would have been my choice to remain living of the two of you. I was grieving and bitter. But you've done what no other person – god, goddess, or mortal has been able to do – you helped me to stand again. Love whom you will, Nico, but do it. It heals more than any other force that exists." He waves his hand again and lifts the darkness from the ceiling. Then clears his throat again.

Nico swallows and then nods. He gets it. This conversation needs to not be shared – his father revealed his weakness – but really it's his strength.

"I uh … Apollo …" Nico stammers, trying to find a thread of thought he can follow while his mind is blown.

Hades shakes his head ever so slightly. Okay, so they can't talk about the line of prophecy Ella spoke or even what sort of punishment Will's dad is facing. Nico wracks his brain. There's something else he needs to ask that only Hades would have an answer for. But after the slip in Hades's mask, Nico can't recall it. Until it hits him like a blow to the head.

_"Time to fly boys and girls. Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!"_

"Leo Valdez!" Nico says, louder than he'd meant to. "I mean. I sensed his death, but I don't sense him anywhere in your realm."

Hades seems to sag, though it's so slight, it could just be a play of the shadows. "I don't have an explanation. He was in the Underworld and now he isn't." He frowns and then grumbles. "Thanatos still hasn't returned my email inquiry."

Nico has the strangest image of Leo on his way to meet death, reaching into his toolbelt, greasing himself up with WD-40, and slipping out of Thanatos's hands like one of those water weenies they sell in gift shops. He can't help but smile at the thought.

Hades chuckles. It's disconcerting. "You ought to do that more often."

"What?"

"Smile. It's refreshing to see." And with that Hades disappears into nothingness and the Greek fire torches return to their normal burning levels.

Nico's glad his father didn't stick around fishing for a returned compliment. He can't honestly say the same thing about Hades's smile.

XxxX

Nico strips down to his boxer shorts, and hangs his clothes up in the closet. Annabeth had installed one of Daedalus's inventions in each cabin, a set of clothing hangers that clean your clothes while they hang overnight – at least when he remembers to hang them up.

He crawls into bed and pulls the book from under his pillow. _Somebody's looking out for me. What are the chances I'd pick up a romance novel about pirates?_ He enjoys the quick read, the clever banter, and manly men in pirate garb strutting their stuff. Despite the flimsy romance – there's totally more chemistry going on between Captain Delancey and his cabin boy than with the barmaid they've taken prisoner – it takes his mind off what he's going to say to Will when they get a chance to catch up. The stupid bit of fiction too, sort of, in his own way, helps him process his own feelings through Delancey's eyes. Dreams – the sort where he's not having horrible visions – are good for that. As he falls asleep, he wonders if Will would understand.

XxxX

He opens his eyes to the sound of Jason and Percy banging on his door, and despite being tempted to ignore them, Nico's awake.

"Hold on a sec!" he hollers, climbing out of bed and answering, rumple-haired and sleep groggy.

"Dude!" Percy says, and then, in a very _bad_ impersonation of Coach Hedge: "Put some clothes on!"

It cracks Jason up and maybe even coaxes a smile out of Nico. A small one. And then he recalls the bone he has to pick with Jason. He frowns, facing him, unperturbed by the fact Jason has a good six inches on him.

"Grace, you want to explain what you were up to the other day, poking around my cabin while I was sleeping?"

Percy raises his hands like he's burned them. "I'm staying out of this one." He jumps on one of the empty bunks and bounces around on his butt to get comfortable, like he's getting ready to watch a sparring match.

Jason flinches like he's waiting to see if Nico's going to start wailing on him. "It wasn't like that. Please calm down. I knocked on your door for three straight minutes. Chiron said you took an impromptu trip to Camp Jupiter, and I just wanted to hear what's happening over there. I swear, I only poked my head in to see if you were still sleeping and … and …" He stops talking, pauses. "And that's it." He jerks his head, reminding Nico of Percy.

Nico feels like the blood has left his face.

"Aww, c'mon … what?" Percy says. "Why can't I ever know what's going on?"

Nico's palm hits his face. _What did I ever..._

"Oh … did he catch you with your hand down your pants?"

_... see in that guy?_

Jason laughs out loud. "Nah, nothing like that. It was cute seeing him all snuggled up, this adorable dreamy little smile."

"Jason ..."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

"I'm shutting up now."

"So, how're Reyna, Hazel, and Frank?" Percy asks.

Nico figures he ought to tell them the truth about shadow-traveling over there and nearly killing himself, because if they decide to send an Iris message, they'll probably find out about it anyway, but that means outing Will. The idea doesn't sit well at all with him. Actually, it makes him realize how much he doesn't know about Will Solace. Where he's from, his family life, if he's open about being gay. He decides to change the subject.

"They're okay. But there's something bigger that I want to tell you guys."

Jason's eyes widen and Nico shakes his head subtly, as if to say: _nothing to do with that, idiot_. Jason relaxes and sits on another empty bunk.

And then Nico's suddenly extremely aware he's only wearing his boxers. "Give me a sec."

He grabs his clothes and takes them into the bathroom, not quite able to keep from smiling when he sees the shower. He and Will had only showered after their last 'incident', but there may have been some shared back scrubbing and shampooing ... his scalp tingles at the memory.

_Cool your jets, di Angelo. They'll want to hear about Leo … there's time for the other things later._

He joins Jason and Percy as they take turns trying to outdo each other making armpit farts. They're falling over themselves laughing and Nico wonders what it's like to be so carefree all the time. Not that Jason and Percy haven't had their fair share of troubles, but it's really good to see them enjoying each others company so much. Nico sits on his own bunk and clears his throat.

"My dad visited me last night and I asked him about Leo …"

Jason and Percy immediately stop goofing off and turn their full attention on Nico.

"Dude … seriously?" Percy asks. "He's alive?"

"I don't know … I felt him die. Even Hades said he _was_ in the Underworld, but he's just not there anymore."

"It has to be the physician's cure!" Jason jumps up and punches the air. "That's my bro Leo; he's got the moves. He figured out how to give it to himself or something … damn. I wonder where he is right now, when he'll come back."

Percy's _unusually_ quiet. They look at him. After a minute of intense thinking, or perhaps it's gas, it's hard to tell with him, he speaks.

"I think I know where he is, or at least, where he went. Not sure if he's still there, or hell. _Time_ is even different there."

"Percy," Nico interrupts. "Where are you talking about?"

"Ogygia. He went to rescue Calypso. It's what he would do."

"Wow. Do you know what this means?" Jason asks.

Percy and Nico shrug.

"Leo's like the _biggest_ hero of us all. He's so runty and unassuming, just sort of slips in and blends with a crowd, but _he's_ the one who worked out how to defeat Gaea. Then figured out how to convince us to go along with it, without telling us the whole plan, 'cause he knew we'd try to stop him. And then he went back to rescue Calypso. I mean … how many heroes have promised her they'd come back, that they'd make her situation better?"

"Um … Jason?" Nico shifts his eyes toward Percy and Jason seems to realize how bad that sounded.

"I didn't mean you personally, Percy."

"I got it." Percy snaps, then softens. "I'm just glad she met Leo. I'm a little surprised actually. He doesn't seem like … well, not to sound bad, but I'm sounding like it anyway. Man, I suck …"

"Spit it out, Jackson," Jason says.

"He's not her usual type," Percy admits, grimacing.

"I think," Nico says, pensieve. "People don't really know what their type is until they meet them. Then it's obvious."

"Speaking of which … when you said I'm not your type," Percy starts. Jason's eyes boggle and Nico has a headache. "What did you mean? Like, you mean you found your type and then, ohh! So you found your type and then realized it's not me, so that's why you told me that! Look at me go … I'm catching on!"

Jason and Nico exchange a look, then Jason cocks an eyebrow.

"No way," says Percy. "Don't tell me it's Jason. I don't know if I can deal –"

"Nico?" another voice calls from the door. It's Will.

Nico rolls his eyes at Percy and then calls to Will over his shoulder. "Come on in."

"How're you feeling to– Oh, sorry. Didn't realize you had visitors."

"It's okay. They're my friends," Nico says, an odd rush of affection running through him at the statement. It just rolls off his tongue easy peasy and is totally true. He smiles at Will, not even thinking about whether or not it's his creepy smile.

"'Sup, Solace?" Percy says.

Will shrugs effortlessly. He's holding a rolled up magazine. "Thankfully not a lot. People seem to be slowing down on hurting themselves lately. I'm not complaining." He doesn't take his eyes off Nico. "You look good today, rested."

Nico realizes he probably looks like a complete boob: smiling, lovesick. He ducks down to fetch his shoes from under his bunk and works at putting them on.

"What have you got there, Will?" Jason asks.

Will turns to him and grins. "It's an Ikea catalogue." Nico's face burns. "Nico said he wants to redecorate. I doubt much of it is his style, but there might be some ideas and you know," he shrugs. "I know people who are good at designing."

"Ohh …" Percy says then, just as Nico sits upright. "You mean Will's your type!"

Nico glowers at Percy. If ever there was a time Nico wanted to silence another person's voice, it would be now. Fortunately Jason saves the day.

"Come on, _Seaweed Brain_. Let's see what Annabeth's up to."

"But I already …"

"Percy …" Jason leaves off the incredulous _Seriously_? But Nico's sure every one of them catch it.

"What? Oh right, shit … Just a sec. Will, can I talk to Nico a minute. Seriously, just real quick?"

Will laughs, easygoing. "Hey you don't need to ask me, you need to ask him."

"It's fine, Will," Nico says. He calms himself. _It's not that big a deal. Will's cool. He's not judging anybody_.

"I'll hang with Grace on the porch," Will tells Nico.

They leave.

Percy flinches. Nico can read the _stupid news flash just made it through_ written across his face. "I really stepped in it up to my eyes, Nico. Dude. I'm sorry. I – I _am_ a Seaweed Brain sometimes."

Nico's lips twitch at the corners. "You going to give me a hard time for dating a guy who's fourteen?"

"What? No. Why does that matter?"

"All right then," Nico says. That's good enough for him. Not holding grudges is a habit he could get used to. "We're square if you convince Jason to back up a bit about it. I'm still getting used to the whole, _belonging_ to a camp thing. Being around people who aren't dead and all. Tell him to trust I'll make the right call."

"You got it." Percy holds out his hand to shake, then stops. "Nico … a handshake just doesn't say it right. Can I have a hug?"

Nico starts backing up, his lip twitching. _Gods this is awkward_.

He nods, and Percy gives him an enormous bear hug that doesn't feel the least bit as weird as it ought to.

XxxX

End Notes: "_Time to fly boys and girls. Uncle Leo's still got a few tricks up his sleeves!_" HoH, LX


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Summary: Nico gets to know Will better, at least where he comes from. It's a start.

XxxX

Nico's heart thunders in his ears as he stands in the doorway, his eyes on Will, while Percy and Jason take off. Has it always beat so loudly and he's only now noticing?

"So," Will says, approaching him. "Did you want to …"

Nico's hands seem to act on their own, and what's he supposed to do, try to stop them? He pulls Will into the cabin, kicks the door closed and pushes him against it – his mind finally catching up with his actions at the sight of Will's eyes widening – the Ikea catalogue falling to the floor.

But Will's not trying to stop him. In fact, he seems to be making it easier for Nico to reach, sliding his back down the door a little – legs spread to support himself – making room for Nico to stand between them.

Even Nico's eyeballs are throbbing, aching, wanting. He rubs absently at his sword arm, watching the smile play on Will's lips. He takes a deep breath, releases it, and starts to back up, but Will catches him by his belt loops and pulls him close. They're nose-to-nose, sharing breaths.

"I missed you, too," Will says. Then he brushes his lips over Nico's, sending a thrill of tiny electric currents through Nico's nerves all the way down to his toes.

Nico's lips tremble. He holds onto Will's waist, just breathing in his scent, getting high on it. Will smells of summer, of tropical air, of comfort. Nico can't bring himself to open his eyes all the way. He dwells in the moment, drawing it out, feeling around all the edges of this newfound attraction as if testing that it's real – that he's not dreaming.

Will's voice rumbles low and Nico can feel the resonance in his own chest. "Did you find time to think about stuff yesterday?"

Nico finally opens his eyes fully, fingers tight, twitching, then gripping the sides of Will's waist through his T-shirt. He meets Will's gaze, lost in the blue. "I – yeah," he breathes his words. It would be embarrassing if he wasn't drunk on Will's scent. It's bizarre how he's losing his grip just being this close to Will. "I came out to my dad."

Will's eyes widen even more, his eyebrows rising. "What? Whoa, that's big."

Nico's thoughts from earlier return. How much he doesn't know about Will's life. How much he'd like to learn. He pulls away a little, not breaking free, but cooling down the intensity. How does Will stay so calm? "Let's go somewhere we can talk? Um, somewhere I won't be tempted to … move too fast." He finishes, cringing a little.

Will's right. Nico's not very good at going slow. But honestly, he's never had this before, this returned interest, this _right now_ urge. He just wants to devour it all and deal with the consequences later. He's starved. And that idea makes him cringe again. Is he so starved for affection he'll glut himself and then sick up when he realizes he's gone overboard? Yeah, maybe it is a better idea to take pacing cues from Will, at least at first.

"Yeah, I'd like that," Will says, pulling Nico out of his headspace.

XxxX

They walk seemingly at random. There are campers training in the arena; three Hephaestus kids are on the roof of their cabin installing a huge bronze disc; Butch Walker takes on the climbing wall while Lou Ellen and Cecil cheer him on.

Nico recalls the argument he witnessed Will and Lou Ellen having with Clovis. He wonders what it was about, but figures Will would tell him if it was important. They reach the beach. "Don't you have to work today?" Nico asks.

Will shakes his head and grabs Nico's hand. It's beyond bizarre that Nico doesn't realize it until they're halfway down the beach headed for a large chunk of driftwood. He _likes_ Will touching him. "Nah," Will says. "I usually hang out in the infirmary if anybody's injured, or kick it with Lou Ellen, Malcolm, Butch, a few others. I prefer to just chill … help out where I can."

Nico frowns. They reach the driftwood. It's high enough to reach Will's hips. Will leans back against it, then pushes himself on top, sitting. Nico joins him, nervously kicking the base with his heels. "What about training?" he asks.

Will's ears go red. He sighs. "I ought to train more, but the truth is I'm just no good at combat."

It doesn't make much sense to Nico. Will's built. He takes a sideways peek at Will's bicep. He's got strength enough. He's seen him in action as a combat medic. He's not lacking in coordination or performance under pressure. "Why's that?" he asks.

Will shrugs, staring over the sound. "Guess I just don't like hurting people. I really hate fighting, even if it's only training. So many people get worked up about it, make it personal, take out their frustrations on each other." He sighs, and stares at his hands in his lap. "At least I've got healing. Makes me good for something. A few years back I thought they'd kick me out with nowhere to go if I didn't pull myself together. I spent a number of night's in the infirmary myself then … panic attacks." He rubs the back of his neck with the admission. Nico's glad he's not the only one being embarrassed today.

"There's nothing wrong with not wanting to hurt people," Nico says. He doesn't say how he actually finds Will's preference for healing hot, but the image rising in his brain – Will lounging on his bed, naked, tan, pulling Nico close in his arms, his body distracting Nico from trying to escape, while he kisses every one of Nico's scars – dissipates in an instant when he thinks of his own powers. "Powers aren't all they're cracked up to be. Mine are more like the gift that bites back."

Nico wonders if he'd give up his powers if he could. Probably not. Monsters never stay dead. But he can't fault Will for not wanting to learn to be a killer. Killing and healing actually sound like a rather dangerous combination.

"There's a lot more to you than you let on, Nico." Will shades his eyes, and watches a flock of birds fly by overhead.

Nico wrinkles his forehead. "And for someone as laid back as you are, I don't know much about you at all."

The sun pouring down on them, drenching them in rays, it's not so bad. The heat kissing Nico's skin actually feels pretty good. Then he sees Will's face has fallen a little.

"But I'd like to change that," Nico adds. He probably sounds ridiculous. Hell, if Percy and Jason were watching, he'd keep his mouth shut so they wouldn't tease him. But there's no judgement from Will. He just takes what Nico says and rolls with it.

"What do you want to know? Will asks, back to his regular state of chill. "I'll answer anything you ask."

Nico raises an eyebrow pointedly. "That's a pretty dangerous statement."

Will's hand lands on Nico's thigh, sending a flood of _oh hell yes_ running up his leg and spreading out under his navel. "I trust you not to abuse it."

Nico lets the statement sink in. A few days ago he'd have thought Will was chastising him, but now … that's not what Will's doing. He's telling Nico he trusts him. Nico's not sure how to even handle that.

He covers Will's hand with his own, wincing as he realizes just how cold he is in comparison, probably clammy too, but Will doesn't pull away. He turns his hand palm up and warms Nico's hand instead.

"You um … seemed surprised when I told you I came out to my dad. Are you not … out?" Nico looks at Will, studies his face, can practically see his mind working.

"Apollo knows," Will says after a long pause, then meets Nico's eyes. "But I've never officially 'told' him. It's just … I don't think any of his kids are all the way on the straight scale, you know?" Nico nods, but this is actually news to him. If that's true, how has he never noticed he wasn't the only gay kid? Will's voice from the war echoes through his mind. Answering for him.

_"You pushed yourself away. If you'd get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once –"_

Is that what he's doing now? Brooding? Will squeezes his hand and Nico relaxes again. No it's not that Will wants him to change his personality. Nico spends a lot of time in his head. Will just wants him to come out and touch base every so often, connect with other people.

"I'm not – Well …" Will lets out a long breath. "I'm not out to my mom. Not because I wouldn't tell her or anything like that." He half-smiles at Nico, but it disappears with the rest of his sentence. "I haven't been back home since coming here. I don't know if she even knows where I am."

Nico's used to hearing sob stories. His years of talking to ghosts have provided a plethora of them. No wonder it's hard for him to pull off 'normal' let alone 'healthy' relationships. He counts five beads on Will's necklace. _He_ still hasn't earned his first. _Talk about fear of commitment._

"Where are you from? She still live there?"

"Small town in Oregon. It's called Bandon, right on the coast," Will tells him. His voice is still easygoing, despite talking about the pain of having his past ripped away from him. Perhaps though, that's just Nico reading into it. He tells his brain to shut up. "I've got three little sisters. They're probably big now, nearly my age when I left. I don't know if they'd even remember me." He falls silent, staring out at the horizon, just taking it in.

Nico wonders if he's thinking of the ocean from his past. "You want to tell me about it, your past? You don't have to." Nico says. His hand is hot and he pulls it out of Will's, then turns Will's palm back over to rest on his thigh. Best feeling ever. He puts his own hand on Will's thigh. Will's lips twitch.

"Yeah. I want to." Nico's face grows hot at how that simple statement makes him feel … _wanted_. "Apollo's not great at picking partners." Will looks around, as if he's checking to see if Apollo's hiding nearby, ready to kick his ass for bad-talking him. "He didn't tell Mom who he was until after … " He clears his throat. "Well, she wasn't impressed. I grew up hearing all about the importance of consent in a relationship, I never realized why until Apollo came for me. She's a really great person, a nurse, a feminist, really smart. I don't think she treated me any different than my sisters or anything, not until … Well, you know how it is."

Nico's not sure he does really. His experience was different from most demigods'. But he likes the feel of Will's thigh under his palm. _Really_ likes it. He could probably spend an entire day just studying Will's legs. He hopes Will doesn't notice the direction his thoughts are turning.

"I was about seven when the monster attacks started. I used to spend most of my time after school on the beach, talking with the surfers, the beachcombers, tourists. Our house was right there by the sand, so it's not like my mom was neglecting me." He shivers, and Nico moves his hand, slipping his arm around Will's waist. Will looks at Nico again, and does the same thing, only pulling Nico closer. He's stronger than he looks. Nico doesn't weigh a ton, but still, Will practically lifted him with one arm. Nico tries to just go along with it, to not make a scene. Thankfully, Will continues his story.

"It's cold there – the ocean – even in the summer. One time when I was eight or nine, I went out and the beach was entirely empty. It was the oddest thing. I decided to play in the caves a bit, poke at the anemones, and then this giant snake came out of the darkness. Oregon doesn't have snakes like that, not even in the zoo. This thing was about as wide around as a crocodile, and I don't even know how long. It was _massive_."

Nico's pulse quickens, not in a good way, but in fear – he's sharing Will's fear from when he was a kid.

"It could have killed me easily, but didn't seem to want to do more than scare me. I fell over when it rose up, injured my leg. The thing, the snake, laughed. I didn't have a clue about monsters. I thought I was dreaming or something. Then it just slithered away, but its tail flicked at the last second, ripped my shirt and grazed my side." Nico's grip on Will's side tightens out of instinct. Like he wants to cover it up so the snake would hit his hand instead. _Stupid brain._

"I just stumbled back up the beach, but there was some sort of poison in its skin. I fell over in the sand, just lay there staring out at face rock. She … Well, see, the rock looks like a girl's face turned up toward the sky. I remember thinking she looked sad and wondering who she was. Then the world felt like it was tilting. I think I was dying, and the girl – the rock – called out for Apollo. He came in an instant. This huge bright yellow ball of light. Like someone threw the sun like it was a tennis ball, but it exploded as it got close. I'm not sure how else to describe it. But then Apollo was there and he healed me. And later, he was talking to my mom. She didn't believe what he was saying, said something about him being crazy. I was still out of it. I didn't catch what she said exactly. He told me later that he took me away and brought me here because he didn't trust himself not to hurt her, um – accidentally. He doesn't take criticism very well." Will seems to want to skate over his father's faults, but can't keep his distaste from showing. "But other than that, he's not the world's _worst_ godly parent. Even when Zeus tells the gods to not talk to their demigod kids, Apollo always finds a way to get around it."

Nico remembers riding in Apollo's chariot. How cool he looked when he pulled up in his red Maserati. Playful, laughing, showing off his muscles and calling himself awesome. Now he looks at Will. Will's probably going to look a lot like him in a few years. He already sort of does, but he's got more of something else … humility, maybe? Nico decides Will has his father beat when it comes to 'drop your pants hot'. His face has to be tomato red.

Will feels Nico's cheek with the back of his hand, checking his temperature. "You need to get out of the sun? You look flushed." _Concern_. Nico's not sure he can answer without revealing what he's been thinking. And then Will hops down and before Nico knows what's happening, lifts him off the driftwood and sets him on his feet in the sand. The warm feelings cool instantly as Nico scowls. Will screws up his face. "Sorry. I'm so far in my own head, Nico. I didn't even think."

Fortunately for Will, being in his head is something Nico gets. "It's fine," he grits out. "But try it again and you're going to feel the sting of my sword."

Will scrunches his face, then leans in close. He's not rising to Nico's bait for a fight. He kisses his nose and whispers. "Threat or promise?", an eyebrow raised. The innuendo leaves Nico feeling like he's had a rug swept out from under him. "Come on, di Angelo!" Will calls, all of a sudden quite a distance away.

Nico looks. Will's jogging, backwards, waiting for Nico to … catch him? Chase him?. "It's time for my exercise, bet you can't keep up!"

Nico can't stop himself from rising to a challenge. Especially when the challenge involves Will Solace's body in action. Will's pretty fast and doesn't look like he's trying very hard.

Nico grins. It is his creepy grin, he knows it, but he also knows he's not all that slow himself. He tears off running after Will, the wind whipping his hair and filling his lungs with life.

*notes:* _"You pushed yourself away. If you'd get your head out of that brooding cloud of yours for once –"_ BoO XLVII

You can see Face Rock for yourself... Google: "Face Rock Oregon Coast" and then look in "images"


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Summary: Nico and Will get to know each other even more as the day winds down.

XxxX

The day passes before Nico knows what's happened. He's been so focused on Will – watching him smile, laugh – playing a quick game of horseshoes in the arena until they get kicked out by the Ares kids waiting to spar.

They end up hanging out in Hades cabin, cross-legged on Nico's bunk. Will sits on Nico's pillow and Nico faces him in the middle of the mattress.

His head is spinning. He can't remember having so much fun getting to know somebody, just wasting an entire day with them, pretending the rest of the world doesn't exist. The other campers had seemed to realize they weren't welcome, and didn't bother them much. Will has the gift of turning people away without hurting their feelings. The few times friends of his had approached, he'd given Nico a quick wink, talked to them for half a minute with a promise to catch up later, and they'd taken off without acting put out or shut down.

Will closes his hand on top of Nico's, sending a warm shiver through his arm, and the ache lingering in his bones vanishes. When he meets Will's eyes, they're almost sad.

"What are you thinking about?" Nico asks. He can't help the small twist in his gut, fearing the answer isn't something wants to hear, but he asks anyway.

"I'm worried about my dad."

Nico swallows, his pulse quickening. He's not used to this, having people talk to him about their hopes and fears. Ever since he pushed Reyna to talk, though, it's like he's wearing a sign around his neck: **share your troubles here**. Well, maybe not exactly like that, but he can't deny it changed how he's perceived by other people. They don't seem to shun him like they did before.

"Is it the punishment thing?" Nico asks, recalling the others talking about how Zeus had acted in Athens.

"Yeah," Will says with a sigh. "Something's off with Apollo. He basically disappeared for the whole war, then as soon as it was over, he popped into my dreams – the other Apollo campers' dreams, too. He's overly cheerful, like he's forcing a smile …" Will drops his voice. "He's not a very good actor. We can all tell he's freaked out on a huge scale."

Nico brushes his fingers over Will's hand where it rests on the mattress; his touch is soft, warm, comforting. "I saw you and Lou Ellen arguing with Clovis last night. Was it something to do with your dad?"

Will's cheeks go pink. He levels his eyes on Nico's and Nico almost wants to hide from the intensity of the stare, but he doesn't. "Yeah. I heard Clovis had been visited by Apollo too. I wanted to know what he'd seen. Basically, he just told us Apollo came and that something big is going to happen soon. Like, a huge change, but he can't remember what it is even when he tries. He says it feels like it was an accident that Apollo visited him, and he probably muddled the details to cover it up."

That makes sense. Clovis's dreams are so strong they pull other dreamers into them all the time, but Nico's never heard of a god missing the mark during dream-travel. Nico catches a hint of mischief in Will's eyes that it looks like he's trying to suppress. Nico can't resist poking it a little bit. He raises his eyebrow. "So you and Lou Ellen decided to gang up on Clovis and force him to talk?"

The blush spreading across Will's face is adorable, though Nico concentrates on keeping his own expression pointed. He's totally not getting off on Will blushing.

Then Will turns the tables on him. "Were you spying on me? Tell me you weren't sneaking around in the shadows again." He lifts Nico's hand and studies his wrist up close, as if examining its substance. It's solid.

Nico's torn between falling back into getting riled up by Will thinking he can control whether or not Nico shadow-travels, and going mushy inside because Will cares enough to be upset by it. But Will seems more upset at the idea Nico would hurt himself than if he was eavesdropping.

Nico clears his throat and Will looks at him, then puts his hand down. "I saw you from the porch," he says. And the way Will searches his eyes, Nico knows he's reading the truth in them. More than that, he feels really exposed – examined by Will, but instead of it making him super uncomfortable or chasing him away, it's turning him on something fierce.

_There's got to be something faulty with how my brain is wired. Please don't look too much closer. And please don't stop._

Out loud, he's talking but not really paying attention.

"Honestly, Nico, I was more worried that you'd died than listening to his dumb stories."

"Huh?" Nico asks. "What?"

Will wrinkles his forehead. "You asked if I talked to Apollo when he gave me a ride to Camp Jupiter." He moves his hand to Nico's forehead, presses the ball of his palm in the center, then runs his fingers back through Nico's hair, gently scraping his scalp, nearly turning Nico into a demigod puddle. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Nico squeaks. He can't stay this close much longer and keep from jumping Will's bones. He pulls away and scoots off the bed. "Be right back." Then he escapes to the bathroom to get himself back under control. 

XxxX

It takes him half an hour and a shower to cool off. He wonders if Will would have gotten bored and left, and then, if Will would wonder if he was jerking off. His cheeks get hot again and he curses, almost wishing he had. It might've taken the edge off.

Instead he throws a towel over his head, puts his clothes on after a quick shake to dust off the sand, and walks back into the room. Will's still there. He's lying on his stomach, legs in the air, barefoot and reading a book. He glances up as Nico finishes drying his hair and drapes his towel around his neck.

It takes Nico a second to tear his eyes away from Will's ankles and calves, and then his embarrassment spreads from his face on down. Will's reading his pirate romance novel.

"Umm," Nico says, staring pointedly at the book.

Will grins at him. "Not bad," Will says, a teasing lilt to his voice. He pushes himself up and sits on the side of the bed. "I think there's something going on between that cabin boy and the captain, though. It's pretty obvious." He hands the book to Nico and Nico tosses it on his pillow.

"You're still here," Nico says. Will reaches for him and pulls him by the hips until they're hugging, his head to Nico's chest.

"Wanted to say goodnight before I left."

Nico returns the hug, almost without thinking about it, one hand resting on the back of Will's neck, the other combing his shaggy blond hair with his fingers.

Will makes a contented purring sound right over Nico's heart and it's almost too much. Nico stares down at Will's face, snuggled against his chest and he just knows … Will Solace has him wrapped around his finger. And by some miracle, Nico doesn't mind.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Summary: Sometimes Nico really hates the schist life throws at him.

XxxX

Nico rolls over and falls out of bed. He hits the floor hard.

He gets to his feet, his head throbbing, and just knows today isn't going to be kind. He makes his way to the bathroom, rubbing at his left cheekbone, pausing to look in the mirror. It's bruised. He looks like he's been punched.

_Great, this is all I need. Will's going to freak out and try to roll me up in bubble wrap or something stupid_.

He climbs into the shower and turns on the tap, then has to step back as it's freezing and he forgot to let it run first. Finally, stepping under the spray – still not hot, but at least it's tolerable – he wonders what day it even is. The past month has flown by and he's fallen into a routine. He spends most days training the year-rounders at sword-fighting, as most of the others have gone to school, including Percy, Annabeth, and Piper. Jason left about a week ago to meet with Hylla to discuss an Amazon contract to create a line of action figures, representing all the gods, starting with Kymopoleia. There's been no word about Leo or Mr. D returning to camp.

Surprisingly, he misses the summer. Back then, Percy and he would perform swordplay demonstrations until Nico started besting him as many times as he lost. The last time they battled, Percy stuck out his bottom lip and pouted – _But … it's my birthday. You can't beat me on my birthday_ – and it had taken Nico several moments to realize Percy was messing with him. He wonders how much of it was true, though. They hadn't demonstrated again afterwards.

Nico scowls at the thought, then swears as his foot slips getting out of the shower. The curtain wasn't tucked in all the way and there's water all over the floor. The whole morning has a surreal quality about it.

He counts off the days as he dresses. It's September 23rd. Fall Equinox. It's been seven weeks since he woke up with Will in his bed. Seven weeks is a long time and Nico's itching for another 'accidental' night to happen.

Will's routine has changed too. He spends the months when most campers are at school studying medicine and healing under Chiron's tutelage. It's not that he and Nico don't hang out very often – they do. But it seems lately that any time things start to heat up, there's a distraction; somebody barges in with a broken wrist; they're needed to help clean up the rec room; any other number of annoying and pointless interruptions. The fact that it doesn't seem to bother Will has Nico wound so tight, he's not even sure why he's still at camp.

The more he thinks about it, the more it rankles him. Maybe it is the Equinox having an effect on his mood, he's not sure, but whatever it is, he's itching for a fight, something to take out his frustration on.

He heads out of his cabin, his scowl firmly in place, probably enhanced by his newly bruised cheek. When he passes a few year-round campers, their expressions change from welcoming to apprehension. He doesn't care. He's not teaching this morning, nor is he helping out in the infirmary. No. Today, he needs an outlet. A challenge. He strides through camp and heads directly into the woods to seek one out.

The woods feel different. The normal playful chatter of the nymphs is what's missing, Nico decides. A twig breaks behind him and he turns, sword drawn, creepy grin firmly in place.

_Come on, I dare you – whatever you are – just try me_.

Nothing moves, not even the leaves on the grove of deciduous trees he stands in. His heart beats fast, buzzing in his ears, or perhaps the buzz is the eerie silence. He thinks he sees a flash of yellow eyes shine in a patch of darkness, and his heart thuds against his ribs as if it's trying to bust out. Like when he was trapped in the brass jar. The air was as still as it is now, stale, and no matter how hard he fought or screamed, there was no escape.

Nico takes several steps back, his eyes still fixed on the patch of darkness, but his mind won't let go of his time in the jar.

_Fall Equinox. The day my stepmother descends into my father's kingdom. I didn't think this through. It's a bad day for me to be alone in the woods._

He turns around, his mind still half in his bronze prison.

_It was like a vase. And she turned me into a dandelion and left me there_.

His heart thuds faster, his hands trembling, the hilt of his Stygian Iron sword wavering in his hand. He remembers looking down at it, seeing through his hand, his belt and his scabbard falling off him when he faded.

"What is this magic?" he calls out, his voice echoes back at him as if bouncing off the walls of the jar. And then he catches sight of a boot. He looks up. A boy, younger than Percy, though he resembles Percy, if he was possessed by a demon. Black hair barely showing from under a red bandana, black shirt and leather jacket, jeans, and biker boots. His eyes glow yellow and orange, like flames. Nico narrows his eyes and dissolves into the shadows, only to rematerialize in the dark patch behind the guy.

His heartbeat returns to normal as he watches the guy kick dirt up from the ground and curse.

"Damned Underworld demigods – they're so flighty. No fun at all. Hey, you listening to me?" He kicks the dirt again, and Nico watches as a larger guy dressed the same as the first appears, rolls out of the dirt and stands up stretching – right where Nico had been moments before.

"He done yet? I'm bored," the second guy says. His voice sounds like a metal rake scraping gravel.

"Hell if I know, Deimos." The first guy lowers his voice and Nico knows who's here. Ares must be visiting up at the big house and these are his charioteers. He's heard Clarisse talk about them.

All of a sudden a huge clap of thunder sounds. The brothers turn as one and look straight at him, fire blazing in their eyes, teeth sharp and bared.

Nico feels the mist being manipulated all around him, but in the dark he's able to draw strength. All around him the trees burst into flame and the air fills with the sound of a war drone, drowning out all other noises. Nico focuses, answers their grins with one of his own, and lifts his hands in the air.

The gods seem to think it's a sign of surrender and start laughing until they try to approach him and are held in place by a dozen skeletal hands. He dissolves again, this time rematerializing crouched on a high tree branch, watching his own private army trap the gods in their bony embraces.

He starts to laugh, and wipes snot from his nose, but all of a sudden it's hard to breathe and his hand comes away covered in blood.

_You've gotta be kidding me_.

is his last thought as the ground races up to meet him.

XxxX

When he wakes he's back in the infirmary. His face feels stiff, and he can't open his eyes all the way. His vision is reduced to slits, looking out from a pair of caves, as if his eyes were sunken all the way to the backs of their sockets. He reaches up with his right hand – his left seems to be immobilized – and finds he's wearing some sort of caked-on mask of mud.

_Seriously? Will's gonna kill me._

Sleep hits him like a shovel to the face.

XxxX

Nico comes to again, but it's not the usual sort of waking. He's back in familiar territory, traversing a web of grey and black. He picks his way past the old torments, heading straight for a spark of light, sinking into it, and the lingering fragrance of pineapple.

Will Solace. He's sleeping on his stomach, long legs stretched out like he's trying to take advantage of every last inch of space. He's hugging a pillow with one arm, the other tucked under his head, uncovered but for his … oh, wow. Will wears seriously hot blue briefs. Nico files that away for future reference. He sits on the bed of Will's dreams. It's just a simple queen-sized bed. The quilt that's pushed down by his feet is patchwork; it looks handmade and cozy.

Nico rests his hand on Will's back, running it over his hot skin and down his spine. Will opens his eyes a crack. "Nico?"

"Hey," Nico says. He pulls his hand back.

"You're alright?"

Nico shrugs. He's not sure what's happening to his body, but here at least, he's not in any pain.

"Why?"

Somehow hearing Will's demand for a reason reduced to one word drives the dagger of guilt that much deeper. But he owes Will an explanation. He's just got to find the words.

He scoots over so he's resting his back against the headboard, his legs stretched out and crossed at the feet. Fortunately, Will makes room for him.

"I was frustrated," Nico admits. "And then I was angry. Like, violently angry. It's like I _needed_ to take it out on something, so I went looking for a monster."

The words sound stupid as he says them. Can he really have been so dumb as to march into the woods on his own with no plan of action?

"You shadow-traveled."

Nico sighs. "Will, it's been seven, eight weeks? I didn't do it until the asshole gods showed up. Did you know Phobos and Deimos were at camp?"

"Yes, and if you'd have made it to the staff meeting this morning, you would have known it too."

Nico flinches. He'd not even thought about the morning meeting. After falling out of bed, anger was his only thought. "I think it was Ares' presence. I was just …" Will climbs onto his hands and knees and Nico stops talking. He can't help but take in the vision Will makes.

Will crawls closer, and flops down, sitting beside him. It's not much better. Nico's distracted by his legs. They're so long, muscular, tan.

"My face is up here," Will says, but there's laughter in his voice.

Nico tears his eyes away and looks at Will's face. "Sorry. I mean, I am sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Will snakes his arm over Nico's shoulders and grabs Nico's hand with the other, holding it in his lap … right next to his blue briefs that Nico is most definitely not sneaking peeks at.

"I'm not angry," Will says. "I don't want to tell you what to do or what not to do. I'm not trying to police your powers."

"But?"

"But," Will continues. He turns his face, holding Nico's eyes fixed in his stare. "I do want you to attempt to use them responsibly. I don't want to lose you, not before …" His face floods with color.

Nico smirks. "Does the taking things slow rule count in dreams?"

"Gods, I'm dating a pervert."

Nico doesn't deny it. He follows Will's lead and loses himself in a deep kiss, endless as the blue of Will's eyes.

XxxX

And then Will disappears and Nico's limbs feel warm and heavy. He breathes out, relieved to find the mask is gone from his face, his left arm no longer immobile. He blinks several times, clearing the sleep from his eyes.

Will's sitting at the desk, writing notes on a chart. The room is dark but for the circle of light spilling out around him. He's not wearing his doctor smock, but is dressed in an orange camp shirt and cut off jeans, flapping his flip-flops as he studies.

Nico wonders how long he's been in the infirmary. How long ago the dream he just woke from actually took place. It doesn't really matter, though. He needs to finish that kiss; his heart's still racing. He pushes the blankets down and crawls out of bed, glad to find he seems to be in one piece. Nothing's broken.

He moves through the dark, quiet as a shadow, and reaches out, hesitating before he touches Will so as not to startle him. But Will exhales a long sigh and Nico senses Will knows he's standing there. He slips his hand down Will's chest, inside his shirt which is different than the one he usually wears, more like a tank top. Something about his chest is wrong almost dark.

The rumbling voice that answers doesn't belong to Will.

"Mmmm. As good as that feels, I have to stop you."

Nico gapes, horrified, but he can't pull his hand back because the guy has pinned it to his chest. The guy swivels his chair, and Nico meets the eyes of Apollo.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Summary: Nico is traumatized, Will is an ass, and Apollo has gone off the deep end. What could possibly go wrong?

XxxX

"A … Apollo," Nico stammers.

_Oh, gods. Will's dad! Kill me now!_

"You're cute, but …" Apollo says – he doesn't look much older than Percy, but the fact that this guy, this _god_, is Will's dad, creeps the Styx out of Nico – "… unfortunately I'm forbidden to form dalliances with campers. I know … it's hard to hear."

Nico can only shake his head, tugging half-heartedly in an attempt to to free his arm.

The sound of footsteps in the hall outside breaks Apollo's focus on him and Nico's finally able to reclaim his hand. He holds it up to his chest, cradled like it's wounded in his other arm.

Will steps into the room, yawning, his hair tousled. He's wearing his green surgeon's shirt over a pair of jeans. "Hey, you're up."

Nico looks to him, pleading with his eyes.

_Save me_.

Will takes him in and hurries forward. "Are you okay?" He grabs Nico's wrist, fingers pressed to the pulse point. "Nico, you look like you're in shock."

Nico shakes his head and manages one word. "Bathroom?"

"Yeah, alright." Will turns to Apollo, who's watching them, bemused. "We'll be right back. Thanks for helping out."

Apollo smiles brightly at Will, though Nico can't help but notice it's forced. "Anytime, kiddo."

Nico follows Will to the infirmary bathroom. "So that's where 'kiddo' comes from," he mutters as his legs give out, and Will has to carry him the rest of the way to the toilet.

XxxX

"You left before I had a chance to tell you about the staff meeting," Will explains while Nico relieves himself, not letting go of Will's hand this time. He's had too much experience recently with falling on his face to risk it again. "Apollo's taking over for Mr. D as camp director, for the winter at least. Ares brought him. He says Zeus has decided it's too much trouble to find and train a replacement for the sun chariot."

Nico smacks Will's arm to signal he's ready to get up. He hadn't realized he's back to wearing the horrible yellow pajamas the infirmary stocks. "Gods, I think I'm gonna be sick."

Will pulls the shower chair over and helps Nico into it. Nico grimaces, hating the hard plastic seat and how the wheels make him feel like he's off-balance.

"Hang on just a sec," Will says. He kicks the brakes on a couple of the wheels and rummages in the supply cabinet, then comes back and hands Nico a bowl in the shape of crescent. "It's an emesis basin. If you need to be sick …"

Nico shakes his head, leaving the bowl in his lap. He props his elbow on the arm of the chair, and covers his face with his hand. "No. Well, maybe it's a good idea … I don't even know."

Will rubs Nico's back through the open slit down the back of the gown, his palm warm on Nico's skin. "What is it?" Will asks. His voice is so concerned it almost makes Nico feel like crying. He has no idea what's up with that.

"Will, have you mentioned that we've got a … that we're … you and me … to him?"

Okay, that wasn't the most refined way of putting it, but Nico's been traumatized. He can't be expected to make complete sentences.

"Not yet, why?" There's a note of trepidation in Will's voice.

Nico looks up, his mouth trying to form the words, but failing. He probably looks like a hungry goldfish. He drops his face in his hand again.

"Did he _do_ something, Nico?" Will asks, this time tinged with anger.

Nico shakes his head, his face still firmly hidden by his palm.

Will gets down on his knees, peering up and trying to see past Nico's hand over his face. It's a bit ridiculous, and Nico can't help peer at him between his fingers. "Come on, tell me," Will coaxes, his lips doing the funny little twitchy thing that Nico can't help but watch.

"Will, I thought he was you," Nico says, cringing. "I … I felt up his chest."

Instead of instant anger or indignation Will busts out laughing. "Oh gods …" He buries his face in his arm, not even trying to stifle his giggles. Nico frowns at him.

"It's not funny."

Will shakes his head, still not done, and Nico ends up watching him cracking up for a full minute or so, and then, when it seems he's got a handle on it, he looks back up at Nico and dissolves into another laughing fit.

Finally, Will gets to his feet, his face blotchy from exertion. It's the face Nico would love to see post-orgasm, shining down on him in the afterglow, but now, he hates it. Sort of.

"Come on," Will says, kicking off the brakes, and to Nico's mortification _pushes_ him out into the infirmary on a toilet seat on wheels. "Let's get you back into bed. I want you to rest at least another eight hours."

XxxX

When Nico wakes again, it's to the sound of muffled sobs. He sits up; it's still dark and Apollo's hunched over the desk, writing something down.

Nico's not sure where Will went and he's also not very comfortable being left alone with Apollo. Especially after the _incident-worse-than-that-time-in-Albania._

Nico's about ready to lie back down and pretend he's still asleep when the strangest sort of music begins playing, and he risks another look. Apollo sits on the wheeled stool with the oddest contraption Nico's ever seen propped up between his knees. He strums a set of strings stretched over what looks like a funnel, his other hand working a series of buttons and gears at the base.

The melody is sad, seeming to reach inside and touch Nico's heart with an icy finger, reminding him of all that he's lost. And then Apollo begins to sing, the light shining around him stutters and dims with each verse.

_"Delphi, my muse of the future_  
><em>I kneel in honor of you. <em>  
><em>Rise from the kingdom of vapor<em>  
><em>and speak only words that are true.<em>  
><em>The wind it carries my whisper <em>  
><em>to your ears and your ears alone. <em>  
><em>I'm hurting inside for outward you've died, <em>  
><em>but I hear you calling me home.<em>

_"Steadfast, and strong as a mountain_  
><em>serving music and sunlight, your king.<em>  
><em>Prophecies reach beyond heaven<em>  
><em>choked by the poisonous green.<em>  
><em>I hold you close and give you a dose <em>  
><em>of love, a potent medicine. <em>  
><em>When shadow and sun come together as one<em>  
><em>we shall be whole once again.<em>

_"Great One I stand by your side _  
><em>and watch the turning of time. <em>  
><em>Defenses crushed by Gaea's maw <em>  
><em>and we weep at such a crime. <em>  
><em>I've been misplaced; fallen from grace <em>  
><em>empty stands the throne that was mine. <em>  
><em>My only Queen, I hear you scream; <em>  
><em>the serpent's embrace binds your spine.<em>

_"I float upon the wind of change _  
><em>to find the place where we once reigned. <em>  
><em>Buried beneath both brick and stone <em>  
><em>you've disappeared without a stain. <em>  
><em>My cry is weak, I barely speak, <em>  
><em>without you I'm losing my voice. <em>  
><em>I'll fade to grey, and waste away,<em>  
><em>erased from time without choice."<em>

Tears stream down Nico's cheeks. He doesn't notice them until the song ends and the overhead lights turn on. Will Solace stands in the doorway, his eyes fixed on his father. Nico quickly wipes his face dry with his hands.

"You're not well."

Apollo sniffles and tucks the curious instrument away, then blinks and offers Will a weak smile that doesn't stay put. "I'm just fi– owwww," Apollo moans, dramatically clutching his chest. Will's at his side in an instant, running his hand over his father's face and then over his hand on his chest, while Apollo squirms, nearly unseating himself.

"Damned wheels."

Will stops the chair, paying no mind to Apollo's theatrics. "This is bad," he says, looking over at Nico. "Are you well enough to give me a hand?"

Nico starts. "But … I'm a son of –"

"Nico!" Will shouts. "Who your godly parent is doesn't count for shit right now. I need your help!"

Nico climbs out of bed and joins Will. Together, they coax the oh-so-awesome sun god to lie down on one of the beds.

"It's really not so– ahhhh!" Apollo whimpers, clutching his chest again and then curling onto his side. He hides his face in the pillow.

"You sense it, don't you?" Will says, and Nico tears his eyes from Apollo and looks at Will. He's pale. "The darkness. There's something eating him up from the inside."

Nico nods. He had felt it when he first touched Apollo, but only now that he's witnessing the agony Apollo's in, does he realize the darkness is some sort of death. "Yeah," he manages at last. "It's like cancer. But he's immortal, I don't know what could do this to a god."

"Dad," Will says, his voice suddenly sounding much younger. "You know what it is?"

Apollo seems to collect himself, then rolls onto his back. He sits up and turns to Nico. "Fluff my pillow."

Nico stares at him, lip curling in distaste.

"He knows what it is, Nico," Nico supposes Will is translating. Gods only know how the Apollo kids and their dad seem to 'get' each other. "But he can't say what it is. We have to figure it out, and that means …"

Nico meets Will's determined stare, an eyebrow raised.

"… We need to petition Chiron for a quest."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Summary: Shit's about to get real – Quest Ahoy! 

XxxX

Chiron strokes his greying beard while the light of the early morning filters through a dewy mist, draping the camp in vapor. He's seated in his wheelchair on the deck of the big house. He seems to spend more and more time in the wheelchair lately. The way Chiron looks past them, out to the Athena Parthenos on Half-Blood hill makes Nico wonder if he's praying to her for guidance.

"You understand this is highly irregular," Chiron says after what feels like ages, his breath puffing like smoke in the chill of the air. "Normally when a hero demands a quest, there is a prophecy to fulfil."

"That's just it," Will interrupts. "Excuse me, sir, but this is Apollo who we want to quest for. The Delphic Oracle is silent – there aren't any prophecies to be had. What if that's what's ailing him?"

"He seemed fine when we spoke earlier today," Chiron says. "I haven't received any reports to the contrary from Olympus."

"Chiron," Nico says – he's thankfully been deemed 'well enough' by Will and was allowed to put his clothes back on. "I sensed it. Will did too. There's death inside him." He wracks his brain, trying to come up with a work around to meet a quest's requirements. If anything, more for Will than for Apollo. Something tells Nico that if Apollo hadn't been specifically instructed not to 'form dalliances with campers' – as he'd put it – that Nico's accidental advance might have gone far further than he was comfortable with. He gives a silent thanks to Hades for the small mercy.

"I should take a look at him myself," Chiron says with a weary sigh.

"Is there something –" Will starts to say, but Chiron cuts him off.

"There is no bad blood between Apollo and myself. He's the one that rescued me so long ago and started me on the path of learning. It hurts my heart to imagine he, of all the gods, would suffer an eternal wound."

He wheels into the big house and Nico looks to Will. "What's that about?"

Will's eyes fill with tears, though he stands tall and unashamed. Nico hasn't really had a good look at him for a couple of days. His hair looks lank, as if he's sick or hasn't washed it in several days, and there are dark circles rimming his eyes. Nico hugs him around the waist and leans against his chest. Will's arms circle his back, holding on tight. Nico closes his eyes, cloaked in comfort, Will's scent filling his nose. It makes him think of peace. If peace was a thing you could identify by fragrance, the way Will smells would be the perfect description. He feels safe here, accepted.

After a couple of minutes, Will begins to sag and releases him. He catches Nico's hand, squeezing it. "Thanks, Nico. But, yeah. Chiron was raised by Apollo. He learned healing and archery from him, practically since he was born."

Nico probably should know that, but having spent most of his time training with the dead and trying to simultaneously help the other demigods and stand apart from them, he hadn't been very good about reading up on ancient history. And then he recalls the line of prophecy he'd overheard in his dream.

"Will, there is a prophecy … or part of one. I overheard it in a dream. Ella recited it to Seymour."

Will's eyes widen. "What did it say?"

_"The fall of the sun, the final verse."_

Will turns, still holding Nico's hand, and looks toward the Athena Parthenos, forehead creased in thought. "Prophecies often aren't about the first thing they bring to mind. It might not be referring to Apollo. But the final verse ..." He pauses, repeating the line to himself. "I don't know. It sort of does seem to fit with the Oracle falling silent."

Nico squeezes Will's hand. "Come on. Let's go tell Chiron about it and see what he thinks." 

XxxX

When they burst through the infirmary door, Apollo and Chiron are laughing like a couple of college kids. They each hold up a hand, shaking their heads as if trying to get a grip on themselves. Will pulls Nico over to Apollo's bed.

"Hey there, kiddos," Apollo says, catching his breath. It's surreal, being called kiddo by a god that looks to be seventeen at the oldest, his hair golden-blond and curling at the ends. "Will, you need to sleep. You're dead on your feet."

Nico notices Apollo's eyes linger on them and then sparkle, his lips turning up in a smirk. He makes a funny hand gesture at Chiron, who has only just managed to get himself under control after the laughing fit. Chiron wipes a tear from his eye and turns toward them, pausing, and Nico realizes what they find so amusing. He's still holding Will's hand. He drops it.

Will doesn't seem to notice. He stands at the foot of Apollo's bed, his eyebrows drawn and serious, and lays it all out.

"The harpy, Ella, before she and Rachel left for New Rome …"

Apollo's eyes grow round, his forehead wrinkling, almost like puppy dog eyes. Perhaps it's his way of letting Will know they're on the right track? Or maybe he's just gone crazy.

"…she spoke a line of prophecy and Nico witnessed it in a dream. _The fall of the sun, the final verse._" He turns to Chiron. "Does that qualify us for a quest?"

Apollo gazes at the ceiling, seemingly transfixed by the foam tiles. That, or he's seeing far beyond the boxed-in walls of the house and deliberately _not_ taking part in the conversation.

Chiron watches Apollo a moment, his lips pursing under his bushy mustache. "Yes, I think so."

"The song," Will says to Apollo. "You're trying to tell us something with it. Is it Zeus forbidding you from telling us what's happening to you?"

Apollo's face, so similar to Will's and yet so different, falls. He pulls the covers up over his shoulders and turns on his side. Nico wonders where the _I-am-the-multi-talented-god-of-awesome_ went. He almost seems like he's Will's little brother rather than his father. It blows Nico's mind to think he's even older than Chiron.

Will breathes out through his nose, his hands twitching at his sides. Nico supposes he's frustrated with how Apollo seems to be incapacitated from straight-talking. He recalls Will telling him how Apollo always made time to check in with his kids, even when Zeus forbid the gods from doing it. The way he's acting now makes Nico suspect there is a greater power policing or even binding Apollo from expressing his true nature.

"There is also the matter of who will accompany you," Chiron reminds Will.

"Lou Ellen and Nico," Will answers at once.

Chiron leans back in his chair, his elbows on the armrests, hands steepled over his lap. "You think there is enough … forgive me, but enough strength for battling monsters among the three of you?"

Will puts a fist to his chest, and a bow Nico has never seen Will wear before appears, a quiver of arrows strapped to his back. "I _can_ shoot. I choose not to. But for a quest, I will do what is needed."

There's a steely note of determination in his voice that sets Nico on edge. He's had the thought before – that killing and healing were powers that could be volatile when combined.

"Lou Ellen's been manipulating the mist since before she knew what it was. Nico …" He swallows. "Nico's more than capable of defending us and himself."

Chiron nods. "Very well. You have my blessing. I recommend you fill Lou Ellen in and begin at once, before the rest of the Camp wakes."

They turn to leave. Nico's eyes fix on the bow strung over Will's shoulder. The other Apollo campers, when they carry their bows, carry them as if they're an extension of their bodies. The way Will wears his, Nico can sense his reluctance, as if it's a ball and chain he can't put down.

They reach the bottom of the stairs, the sky growing lighter, but it almost feels like the sun is reluctant to rise. Nico shivers, chilled by his thoughts and Will turns to face him. He's hidden his bow again and looks back to his usual self, except for the crease in his forehead.

"Nico. What do you think of when you think of us?"

Nico freezes. He's been ignoring the idea that Will would eventually want to define their relationship. He knows the answer Will's looking for: _boyfriends_, but even thinking the word sends Nico's heart racing, the old voices in the back of his head hissing at him.

_You're setting yourself up, di Angelo. You'll be crushed under the weight of the word. All things end and eventually you will break._

Nico tries to shake the sensation off. He can't explain it, can't quite admit his hesitance to Will. He just knows saying it aloud would act like a jinx.

"Friends," Nico says at last, though it comes out sounding more like a question than he meant it to.

Will chuckles. "Just friends, huh? If you do this with all your friends I'm not going to be very happy."

He pulls Nico in by his waist, pressing their bodies together, and Nico forgets what he was going to say in favor of answering Will's demanding lips. 

XxxX

Nico stretches out his legs after climbing into the front seat of the ancient black Buick waiting for them at the end of the drive. He's just ended Lou Ellen's freak out at having a zombie chauffeur drive them by offering to ride shotgun.

The back doors slam and Jules-Albert starts the engine. Nico looks over the back of the front seat where Lou Ellen and Will are having a whispered conversation.

"_Looks like a hearse._"

"_Where did Nico find this guy?_"

"_More than that, where'd he get the car?_"

"If you're ready," Nico says, not quite able to keep the amusement at their discomfort out of his voice, "let's decide where we're going."

Lou Ellen pouts her lower lip. "I don't get why Chiron wanted us gone so fast. Why not wait for tomorrow? Don't we usually have a meeting before taking off on a quest?"

Will answers her, subdued. "He doesn't want the rest of camp to know the state Apollo's in. I gave Kayla a quick overview since she's taking over as head while I'm gone, but Apollo doesn't want the rest of the cabin to worry."

"Why not?" Lou Ellen asks.

Nico digs his fingertips into the leather seat back. They need to get going before the rest of the campers are up and see them leaving.

"Isn't it obvious?" Nico pauses. He doesn't want to say what's really on his mind. It's one thing to suspect Zeus of punishing Apollo with a cancer he can never die from, and quite another thing to say it out loud. "When bad things happen to a god, it stirs up emotions. People – other campers and even the other gods start pointing fingers and trying to find someone to blame. We just got over that with the Greek-Roman rift. It might not even have anything to do with another god. So this quest has to be kept on the down-low."

"It's Python," Will says, his voice short. "I'm certain of it. What else could it be?"

"But I thought Apollo killed Python eons ago," Lou Ellen says. The way she's looking at Will with her eyebrows wrinkled and her lips turned down makes Nico think she's trying to comfort him, or just acting as a confidante. He supposes best friends do that sort of thing.

"Yeah, but a lot of things that used to be dead aren't anymore because of Gaea. I just don't know where we're supposed to go for guidance. We have a single line of a prophecy and that's really it. I mean, are we seriously supposed to go all the way to Delphi to check it out? I don't even know if Python _can_ be killed by a demigod."

"Will," Nico interrupts. Jules-Albert's fingers tap impatiently at the top of the steering wheel. If he starts moaning, they could be in trouble. "There _is_ somebody we can talk to." He turns back to the driver. "Jules, we need to go back to New Rome."

Jules-Albert takes the brake off and revs the engine, then peels out.

Nico looks over the seat again to see Lou Ellen scrambling to fasten her seat belt. She manages it and looks up at him with a wide smile. "Rachel Elizabeth Dare! You're a genius, Nico. Who else would know more about Delphi than the Oracle?"

"But the Oracle is silent," Will says lowly. "She probably doesn't have a clue."

Nico narrows his eyes. He doesn't like this pessimistic attitude Will's suddenly wearing. "Do you have a better idea?"

"No," Will admits.

"Then shut up and let's go on what we have, wait and see if a better idea crops up."

Will glares back at Nico, but rather than feeling chastised, Nico's nerves thrum with excitement. A quest. He can't explain it to himself, but there's something about facing an impossible task that gets his blood pumping.

They're silent for a long moment before Lou Ellen speaks again.

"You know, Will. Ella and Rachel are working to reconstruct the Sibylline books. They really might have something more for us to go on."

"I guess," Will says.

Nico turns around to face the front. He's not liking the gloom settling over Will. Maybe the way a quest gets him going works opposite for Will. Perhaps Will gets gloomy and depressed by the prospect of facing a great unknown. He turns on the radio and The Rolling Stones' _Sympathy For The Devil_ comes on. _Fitting_.

Jules-Albert, at least, seems to enjoy it and shifts into high gear as they reach the highway, his skeletal jaw grinning.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Summary: Nico thinks dream travel may just be the greatest thing ever.

XxxX

As Nico stares up at the dancing green shadows on his ceiling, he realizes he's dreaming.

_I'm in the car. Jules-Albert is driving us to New Rome. We're on a quest for Apollo_.

He sits up. A warm breeze dances past, sending the shadows into a momentary zigzag pattern, and then a single russet feather flutters on the mattress in front of him. He glares up as a handsome young man with curly black hair and red and gold wings shimmers into existence perched on the foot of his coffin-shaped bunk.

"Zephyros," Nico says through gritted teeth. "Why are you here?"

Zephyros offers him a sad sort of smile, his bare arms resting on his knees. He's dressed like Apollo had been the other night. Wearing a camp shirt cut like a tank top and cut off jeans.

"Nico di Angelo," he says. "Right down to business. You left something at camp that you're going to need on your quest. My master has instructed me to deliver it to you."

Nico frowns, staring at Zephyros's flip flop clad feet. "Where is it? And get your feet off my bed."

Zephyros levels his eyes on Nico, but diligently lifts his feet off the bed, not by getting down, but stretching out his long legs, and balancing on the end of the bed, much like a gymnast, though he doesn't appear to be putting in much effort. "Always in such a rush. I'd hoped to talk to you for a while, make friends or something."

Nico barely prevents himself from scowling. "Why would you want to be friends with me?"

Zephyros's face seems to color, but it's hard to see under the green torchlight. "You're so dense. But Apollo always did have all the luck."

Nico narrows his eyes. The god of the West Wind, carefree servant to Eros has a lot of gall calling him dense. And then the memory of the last time someone called him dense comes to mind. It was Will and it had taken him a while to realize Will was flirting with him.

_Ugh. Just what I need. He killed the last guy he had the hots for – because of Apollo_.

"There's nothing going on between me and Apollo. I'm, um, seeing someone else."

Zephyros rolls his eyes. "Tell me another one," he says under his breath. He sounds bitter and amused at the same time. Then shrugs. "No worries, I won't hurt you. I serve my master now. It's a punishment I can endure. It's hard sometimes – helping Eros bring lovers together and knowing I can't ever have ... " His eyes grow wet, but he blinks his tears away. "I should be grateful. I deserve my fate of eternal service. At least it's Eros, right? Could you imagine how bad it would be if it was like, Ares?" He shudders.

Nico shifts, tapping his fingers on his knee. "Zephyros?"

The wind god flashes Nico a winning smile. "Yeah?" a hopeful note to his tone, as if he's hoping Nico will change his mind.

"The message?" Nico asks, hoping his annoyance will shut those hopes down.

"Oh right. Okay. Here it is," Zephyros says, springing forward and catching Nico off guard as he pushes Nico onto his back, and shoves his hand inside Nico's jeans pocket. Thankfully he doesn't crush him. He hovers an inch above Nico, eyes closed, inhaling deeply.

"Dude!" Nico shouts and pushes Zephyros's shoulders. "What in Tartarus was that about?"

Zephyros flutters back a couple of feet, then perches standing on the foot of Nico's bunk. "I have to personally put it in your pocket otherwise it won't travel with you when you wake."

"Well, I'd appreciate some warning next time."

Zephyros shrugs. "I get my kicks where I can. Take care Nico di Angelo." He gives Nico a flirty wink and fades, taking the dream along with him.

XxxX

Nico finds himself standing once more in the borderlands of dreams and death. It's almost refreshing to be back in a familiar place. His eyes instantly scan the expanse of grey and black, pushing the voices of the damned and of his past away, searching for the ray of light that is Will dreaming. His heart leaps when he spots it and he rushes forward, his feet barely touching the ground. He sinks into Will's dream.

"Hey, I was waiting for you," Will calls from the bed. They're back in the same room as the last time. It's furnished with a simple queen-sized bed, a patchwork quilt pushed down to the foot. A square pine table sits in one corner next to a window looking out at an ocean and there's a dresser, a mirror and a seascape painting hanging on the wall.

"What is this place?" Nico asks, approaching. He takes in the vision Will presents. He's stripped to his briefs – bright red this time – and is sitting, propped on several fluffy pillows, his long legs stretched out, crossed at the ankles. His body is lean and lithe, somehow retaining its tan, and he seems entirely comfortable hanging out in his underwear. It almost feels like the light in the room is coming from Will, as Nico doesn't spot any lamps.

Will pats the mattress beside him, inviting Nico up. "It's the guesthouse where I grew up. My mom rents it to tourists during the summers, but it was always my favorite place to hang out when I wanted to be alone in the off season. There's another bedroom and bathroom, but this is the room where I feel most … " He shrugs, "... at home, I guess?"

Nico climbs onto the bed. His shoes seem to have vanished, but with dreams it's best not to question too much lest it turn into a nightmare, or worse, a vision. He sits beside Will, lying back on more pillows, face going hot. He's still not used to all the touching and cuddling, but he wants it. Will drapes his arm around his shoulders and he can't help sneak a peek at Will's red briefs. "You like bright underwear," he observes and then sucks in a breath as Will starts nibbling kisses on his ear and neck.

"Mm-hmm," I do," Will breathes, hot against Nico's skin.

Nico closes his eyes, trying not to get too riled up, but they flash open again as Will's free hand slips under his shirt and the kisses on his neck grow more intense. He can't help it; he's beyond turned on. If Will doesn't stop soon, Nico's going to have a hard time preventing himself from humping Will's legs like a hellhound in heat.

"Thought you …" Nico says as Will drapes a leg over his, taking his necking even deeper. "… ahhh, wanted to slow down."

Will stops, then turns over so he's on his hands and knees, looming over Nico as if he's a big lanky cat preparing to pounce. He crawls up Nico's body, crouching low, so he's looking up Nico's stomach at him. "I thought we agreed it doesn't count in dreams."

Nico's on fire from the heat building between their bodies, and can only nod. It's the best use of rationalization he's ever heard. Will sits back on his knees, pulling him forward by the bottom of his shirt and Nico lifts his arms, allowing Will to pull it off.

As Will spots his werewolf scars and kisses them, Nico loses himself in sensation. He runs his fingers through Will's hair, his other hand gripping Will's shoulder, his skin flushing red under Nico's palm. Will's strong, though he hides it with his unassuming demeanor, and the fact Will could overpower him physically – not taking his Underworld-y powers into account – but doesn't, gives Nico the same sort of thrill that a quest does, in a much more gratifying sense. Will smoothes over Nico's scars on his biceps, one at a time with his tongue and draws his face back, still straddling Nico's legs and his eyes seem to drink Nico in.

It's the oddest, and yet most arousing thing Nico's experienced. He's very much on display, and normally would be self-consciously trying to cover himself, but with Will … He's never thought another guy would want him enough to not be able to take his eyes off his body. He knows what it's like to be so aroused, but to see Will in such a state because of _him_ – blows his mind.

And then Will's hands are at his pants and Nico's very aware of how hard he is, bent sideways in his boxers. Will looks up at him, fingers trembling against his skin between his waistband and stomach, his eyes hungry. "I want to, Nico … Can I … suck you off?"

Gods, what a stupid question. Nico nods, unable to make words come out. All he can do is watch as Will grips the waistbands of his boxers and jeans – wait for Nico to lift his hips – and then pull them off. They share an embarrassed laugh, and then Nico stares at Will, his lips plump and parted, tongue darting out to wet them, jaw trembling. Nico couldn't look away if he wanted to. He sucks in a shallow breath as Will lowers his face and breathes in deep against his hip.

"Gods, yeah." He thinks he might be dead and in Elysium.

And then, it's only fair that he return the favor.

Afterwards, Nico's heart startles him, thumping hard and fast, then slowing down. Will rests his head on Nico's chest, holding on to him tightly, gripping the backs of his shoulders. As Nico's heart slows more, falling into a regular rhythm, he threads his fingers through Will's hair.

"Nico di Angelo," Will's voice vibrates through Nico's body, finishing with a sleepy sigh. "You're full of surprises."

Nico's throat is a little hoarse when he answers. "Can't talk, mind blown." The smile on Will's face when he looks up is everything Nico imagined it would be. He could bask in its glow for hours.

_"Nico!"_ Lou Ellen's high-pitched shout pierces the dream and shreds it to pieces.

Nico sits forward with a start, bleary eyes blinking. "What? Huh? Where?"

"We have a problem. Just do what I tell you."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Summary: After a rude awakening, Nico and Will experience a revelation.

XxxX

"Oh, wait. That should do it."

Lou Ellen sounds calmer. The dream clings to him and he doesn't want to leave it. Nico blinks again, not sure he's actually seeing what he thinks he's seeing.

The dashboard shimmers. It's different than the one he's been staring at thus far. He turns to Jules-Albert and a very handsome young man wearing a black cap on top of his brown curls flashes him a smile from the driver's seat before turning his attention back to the road.

Nico turns around. The back of the seat isn't there any longer; instead he's looking through an open space above a small door and he realizes the car has elongated into a limousine. Lou Ellen shakes Will's shoulder, waking him. He's sitting on a two-seat bench against the side of the limo, shaking his head as he comes back from the dream. Neither he nor Lou Ellen look like themselves.

Will's hair is styled in golden-and-white-streaked ringlets offsetting his outfit – a black leather vest crisscrossed with silver chains and matching pants. He has an electric guitar slung over his shoulder and when he opens his eyes all the way, they stand out in sharp relief against his skin, glowing bluer than ever. Nico swallows, his throat almost recalling the sensation from his dream. Black eyeliner rims his eyes, and the way he looks at Nico, as if he wants to devour him, makes Nico's legs feel like rubber.

Lou Ellen, too, has her shoulder-length black hair teased up in curls and ringlets. Her eyes are dark and heavily lidded. She's wearing a dress that looks like it belongs in a fetish night club. Nico's stomach churns when he realizes why Will hasn't said anything and why he's apparently unable to tear his eyes away.

__No way. Oh, Hades no.__

He turns back around and flips the sunshade down, looking in the mirror. His hair is styled in a mess of spiky locks, and he's wearing nearly as much makeup as Lou Ellen. His eyes lined and shadowed, lips painted black. When he takes in his outfit he wants to disappear. He's dressed in a tight leather waist-cincher type thing, leaving his arms bare, and his black pants are so tight, they look painted on.

Then he looks out the windshield. They're moving at a snail's pace, surrounded by a crowd of people screaming and holding up signs and banners. Jules-Albert follows a motorcycle cop who seems to be escorting them through the masses.

Nico's brain hurts. He unbuckles his seatbelt and opens the short door to the back. Where he normally carries his Stygian iron sword, a pair of drumsticks dangle from his belt. He glares at Lou Ellen as he sits in a sideways seat. "What in Tartarus is going on?"

Will's cheeks flush, almost glowing under the powder on his face. "I'm wondering the same thing."

Lou Ellen looks at them both and wrings her hands. "Sorry, guys. But we got caught in this mess of traffic." She waves her hands at the shaded windows. "There was a group of Empousai in the crowd before I changed the car. I banished them with a prayer to my mom, but I'm not sure they were alone. I figured we'd have better luck getting through traffic if we were escorted with the rest of the bands." She pouts and crosses her arms in her lap. "It's not easy to control the mist to this extent. And you were both crashed out."

The car jolts and they freeze as three loud thuds hit its side. Nico's heart races a mile a minute. He glances back at Jules-Albert, who seems perfectly content to wait for the motorcycle cop to start leading him again.

"What if I shadow-traveled us out of here?"

Will's shoots daggers at him with his eyes. "Always with the shadow-travel!"

Nico can't help but wince at the anger in Will's voice. He glares back. "Well, do you have a better suggestion?"

The car jolts again and starts moving forward at a slow crawl.

Will shrugs. "I don't see how waiting it out could hurt."

Lou Ellen wrinkles her forehead, turning worried eyes on Will. "Umm. When we get to the stadium at the front, we might have to play."

Nico stares at her blankly. "Play what?"

"Music," Will snaps, gesturing to his guitar. The name across its face reads: **Sister Death**.

"Sister Death?" Nico scoffs, then turns to Lou Ellen. "What kind of a name is that for a band?" He can't help it. His instinct is to start fighting when he's scared. The idea they may have fallen into a situation where they're forced to perform, to be visible in front of a crowd of people has his nerves strung tight, more than the idea of facing monsters. And the way Will glares at him when they had just been … and now they're back and everything is wrong. Nico hates it.

The car bumps again. He focuses on Will, who seems to be deliberately _not_ meeting his eyes. "Can you give us a sec?" he asks Lou Ellen. She moves to the front without a word, probably glad to get away from the tension.

"What's with the attitude?" Nico demands after Lou Ellen has put the privacy shade down between the front seat and the rest of the car.

"What do you mean?"

Nico crawls over to Will, stopping before him. If he can just get Will's attention like he'd had it in the dream, they might stop bickering. He pushes Will's legs apart and stands on his knees between them, staring up at Will's face. He runs his hands up the outsides of Will's thighs to his hips and then back.

Will looks at him after a couple of seconds. He lifts the guitar off his shoulder and sets it aside, seeming to breathe easier. "It was real, Nico. I lied."

Nico raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"

Will's ears turn red, but he doesn't look away. "I think it does count in dreams."

Nico smirks. "Yeah. I can't even tell you how much of a relief it is."

"What?"

He knows Will's hung up about sex and probably their ages, but thinking back over the past year, and how sharing with Reyna got her to open up to him, he needs to share this with Will. "Seeing you in my dreams…" He closes his eyes, remembering. "It keeps me from dwelling on all the rest of the … from visiting … listening to …" He doesn't even want to talk about it for fear of calling up the memories and ghosts. "Will, touch my face. Touch my hand."

Will makes a confused-sounding grunt, but does it, and Nico pushes his feelings into the touch, sharing them. How huge his heart feels, the sensation of inexpressible relief, of filling up with warmth, of quenching a thirst with kisses. How before there were only nightmares, and then how finding Will and dropping into his dreams … ends them.

Nico opens his eyes again, meeting Will's. "Do you sense any darkness in me now? What does your healer's touch tell you?"

Will's eyes are bright, nearly glowing. "I'm an idiot," he says at last, not letting go of Nico's hand or face. "Shadow-jump us, Nico. I'll be your battery."

Nico smirks. "Fuelling shadow-travel with solar power? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard, and the most brilliant."

He makes the jump, car and all, lost in the blue of Will's eyes.

XxxX

They come out of the shadows in the still-dark morning, Nico still gazing into Will's eyes.

"What just happened?" Lou Ellen asks as the privacy curtain rises with a metallic buzz.

They're still wearing their band clothes, and Nico looks up at Lou Ellen, getting to his feet. He's not even tired – he almost feels like he's had several shots of espresso.

Lou Ellen sighs. "Oh, good. Can I drop the mist, then? That really wore me out."

Will gives him a wink and gets up to check on Lou Ellen over the low door.

"Jules-Albert," Nico calls. "You know where we are?"

"Oui, Monsieur. Nous sommes à Saint-George. Nous serons à Las Vegas dans deux heures."

"Merci," Nico answers. "Lou Ellen. I think it's safe to drop the mist."

"What did he say?" Lou Ellen asks. She peeks over the top of the door, blushing and apparently trying to stifle a giggle. Will shushes her.

Nico's not sure what's going on with the two of them, but he answers anyway.

"We're two hours to Vegas. It should be fine, but I want to avoid passing the Lotus Hotel." He remembers that Lou Ellen hadn't wanted to sit beside a zombie. "Oh, did you want to change seats before you put the car back?"

Will takes his seat beside Nico and slips a hand on Nico's knee.

"I'm good," Lou Ellen calls back. She's definitely giggling now. "You dream a bit too loud for my comfort, Will."

Will's hand grows hot on Nico's knee for a moment, and then the car shimmers and changes back into the Buick. Will's gone bright red, and the rising sun in the distance makes the cliffs visible through the window behind him look like they're on fire. The color reminds him of Zephyros's wings.

"Oh, yeah," he says and shoves his hand in his pocket, thankful to be wearing his trusted black jeans again. He pulls out a folded piece of paper.

"What's that?" Will asks, his voice just the right level of husky to raise the hairs on Nico's arms.

Nico unfolds the paper and looks at it, then hands it to Will, smiling. "Something to go on."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Summary: They arrive in New Rome, but all is not well.

XxxX

The trip through Nevada is thankfully uneventful, and they arrive at the Caldecott Tunnel in the Oakland hills in one piece.

Jules-Albert pulls off the highway with a screech of tires and brakes. They get out and stand by the car as he puts on the turn signal and waits for traffic to let him back in. Will gives Nico's hand a yank and he almost misses the quick wink Jules-Albert throws him in the rearview mirror as he jerks the wheel and peels out, rejoining the stream of cars. Hades isn't such a bad dad, Nico thinks. Jules-Albert is growing on him.

Lou Ellen adjusts her backpack and starts hiking up the side of the hill toward hidden tunnel. Nico can't see it yet, but doesn't doubt the daughter of Hecate's sight. He and Will follow her. It's the strangest sensation, walking side by side with Will, hands not quite touching, almost as if a current of electricity jumps back and forth connecting their hands through an invisible cable. He's not complaining; it's just … different.

"Hoooo-oooo!" Lou Ellen calls out, and Nico looks up.

Hazel and Frank have come to meet them. Hazel bounces on the balls of her feet waving as Lou Ellen trips up the side of the hill to reach her.

They're hugging and laughing when Nico and Will finally reach the mouth of the tunnel.

"Hey, Nico … Will," Frank says. He's smiling almost as much as Hazel, but it seems to be Hazel's enthusiasm that inspires it.

"How's it going, Frank?" Nico asks.

"Oh, no you don't," Hazel says and Nico finds himself with a face full of wild curls as she hugs him tight. She smells the same as always, like growing things and fresh turned soil – the wild.

He hugs her back. "Hey, sis," he says when she gives him room to breathe again. She shines with a healthy glow, growing up, thriving. He's beyond happy Camp Jupiter suits her so well. "You look great. Like a real Centurion."

She smacks his leg for sassing her. "You're not so bad yourself. You'll need to stay on top of your exercise though if you want to pull off the flower boy look."

Will lets go after shaking Frank's hand and turns to Nico and Hazel, confused. "What's that now?"

Nico refuses to be embarrassed and instead throws Will a pointed look. "I know you're jealous, but I called dibs on the flower boy position for Frank and Hazel's someday wedding."

Lou Ellen dissolves into a fit of giggles while Will gapes at Nico, as if shocked at seeing this playful side of him. Nico takes Will's hand, ignoring his bemusement, while Lou Ellen greets Frank.

Frank chuckles. "Good to see you too, Lou Ellen. Hazel will give you the grand tour. I've got praetor duties, unfortunately." He leads them into the tunnel

"Is Reyna too busy to help?" Nico asks.

Frank sighs loudly and it echoes off the walls of the cave making Lou Ellen jump. "Reyna's tending Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She's been really sick the past few days."

As they exit the tunnel and look down on the Little Tiber encircling the fortified walls of the camp, nobody says anything. They follow Frank to the nearest bridge and Nico's mind whirls a mile a minute, all the mirth from earlier, dissolving.

__Is it the Oracle making her sick? I haven't mentioned we were coming here to anybody other than Will and Lou Ellen, so how did Frank and Hazel know to meet us? Apollo can't die from the cancer inside him, but Rachel is mortal. Am I going to sense she's close to death when we see her?__

Will slips his hand into Nico's and the thoughts quieten. "What's Reyna doing for her?" Will asks Frank when they step off the bridge and begin walking towards the gate.

Frank holds up, falling into step beside Will and Nico, and Hazel takes the lead. His voice is low when he answers, as if he's trying not to be overheard. "She's lending Rachel her strength. The problem is that Rachel's not a demigod. I dunno how much of a difference that makes, but it's really taking a toll on Reyna."

Will grips Nico's hand tighter. "Can we see them right away? I might be able to help."

"Yeah," Frank says. "Hazel, you wanna show Lou Ellen the ropes? I'll take these two to Reyna and get back to work."

Hazel gives him a Roman salute, and she and Lou Ellen take off towards the barracks. They follow Frank to the principia where Reyna works.

"If you need anything, I'll be on the Field of Mars working with Hannibal," Frank tells them. They push the curtain covering the entrance aside, their shoes clacking on the polished marble floor as they enter.

The long table is pushed out of the center of the room, and blocks in the displays of bronze medals and the legion's eagle. In its place Reyna has laid out a couple of ornamental rugs and Rachel sleeps on a bedroll on top of them. Reyna sits cross-legged behind her, her hand on Rachel's forehead and her eyes closed. Aurum and Argentum sit on either side of Reyna and wag their mechanized tails as they approach. She looks up – her forehead creased, and her eyes bloodshot. She's alert, but looks like she's close to collapse. Before Nico can say anything, Will lets go of his hand and rushes to Reyna's side. He kneels and takes her hand.

She tries to pull it back, but can't seem to muster her indignation. Will holds her hand to his chest, gripping her wrist. He looks into her eyes, his voice soft and concerned. "You _need_ to rest, Reyna."

"Healer Solace," she says, twisting her wrist and freeing her hand. She glares and sits up straighter, as if building her strength to tell Will off.

He doesn't let her. "Reyna, you need to take care of yourself, too. Rachel is the patient. She'll hate it if you kill yourself trying to heal her. What's ailing her isn't her physical body, but the Oracle itself."

Reyna's face flushes and she squares her jaw. "Don't think you can tell me …"

Will shakes his head, pleading with his eyes. "Please don't misunderstand. She needs you to be strong for her. Her mortal body will suffer less if she's not alone." Reyna seems to slump as his gentle tone convinces her. "You should curl up beside her and sleep. Conserve your strength for a while and just be together."

Rachel opens her eyes, waking up at the sound of their voices. She searches for Reyna with her hand, finding her knee, and pats it. Nico sits in front of her, and she smiles at him.

"Nico, hey." She screws up her face, and jerks her head, then looks up at Reyna squinting, and wrinkling her forehead. "Reyna, help me sit up?"

Reyna slips an arm behind her back, and pulls her upright, though Rachel still seems off-balance. "Don't rush it."

Rachel chuckles, blinking like she's trying to clear her sight. "She's always babying me. I'm spoiled rotten."

"Do you know why we've come?" Nico asks when she seems to be able to sit, albeit only because Reyna's propping her up. Will sits beside Nico. It's sort of odd, Nico thinks. They probably look like four friends just hanging out, talking. Nico wonders what sort of conversation they'd be having if they had normal lives.

Rachel's face falls. "I do. Apollo's sick?"

Will holds out his hand. "Rachel, may I?"

She puts her hand in Will's and Nico watches as he closes his eyes in concentration. After a moment a small pulsing light seems to push through their clasped hands and up Rachel's arm. She takes a deep breath and Will lets go, opening his eyes again.

"Oh, that's good. Thanks, Will."

Reyna's eyes fix on Will and then dart to Nico as if she's asking _how did you get lucky enough to catch this guy's attention?_

Nico twitches his lips and then remembers the song Zephyros brought him. He takes it out of his pocket and unfolds it. "We're on a quest," he tells Rachel, "to find out what happened to the Oracle. The only guidance we have is a single line of prophecy: _the fall of the sun, the final verse,_ and this …"

He hands her the paper.

As she reads, tears spill down her cheeks, and Reyna seems to be struggling to keep her upright.

Will stands up, and holds a hand out for Nico to take. "We'll give you some space to process … everything. Just send someone to fetch us when you're ready."

Nico takes Will's hand and pulls himself up.

Reyna calls after them as they reach the door. "Thank you, son of Apollo."

XxxX

Nico leads Will past the baths and up a the winding road toward New Rome. They pass Frank, in elephant form – apparently talking to Hannibal – and Hazel, leading the Fifth Cohort in erecting a fortress. Lou Ellen, looking like she's having the time of her life, helps push a wooden pillar into position.

Nico takes a detour before they reach the Pomerian line and they climb the tallest hill to the garden of Bacchus. They don't talk until they reach the fountain at the center and take a seat on a low stone bench.

"What are you thinking?" Will asks.

Nico stares at the little statue of Bacchus spouting water into the basin, far-gone in his mind. "I wonder if talking to Rachel about our quest is going to do more harm than good. Maybe it was a mistake coming here."

Instead of answering, Will pulls him into a hug, then nudges his chin and their mouths meet.

Nico kisses back as if he's feeding off Will's lips, desperately craving the small jolts of pleasure that feel so good fluttering through his nerves when they connect.

Will breaks the kiss, but maintains eye contact, and Nico breathes him in. He's comfortable in the aura they make together, at peace.

"Reading Apollo's song isn't harming Rachel. It's painful, yes, but the Oracle inside Rachel is the one in pain. It's probably the first time Apollo's words have reached her since she went quiet. That's where the tears are coming from."

"How can you know that, though?" Nico can't help asking.

Will sits back, his eyebrows furrowed, like he's puzzling it over. Then he cocks his head. "How do you know when someone dies or whether or not a specific soul is in the Underworld?"

Nico raises his eyebrows, thinking. He can't explain it; it's just part of him. He meets Will's gaze again and realizes that's how it is for him, too. "I'll take your word for it, then." He looks at Will's lips, thinks about kissing him again, when a shadow falls over them.

"Friends!" cries a booming voice.

Nico looks up to find Tyson beaming down at them, Ella perched on his shoulder, her wings draped down his back.

"Friends," Ella says. "To the query, _What is a friend?_ his reply was _A single soul dwelling in two bodies._" She presses a kiss to the side of Tyson's forehead. "Tyson is Ella's friend."

As if his feet have gone out from under him, Nico grabs Will's arm to steady himself. In his mind's eye, he's flying backwards to a time where he'd read something similar – the sensation he'd felt then, bleeding back into now. Plato had written of Zeus dividing the mortals into men and women, two halves of a whole. The nightmare that had followed plays out in a loop in Nico's head. He sees himself half-buried in the sand, as if he were a chunk of driftwood, and the ocean waves batter him over and over with the tide until all that is left of him, is salt.

XxxX

End Note: _To the query, "What is a friend?" his reply was "A single soul dwelling in two bodies."_ Aristotle according to Diogenes Laërtius - from Lives of the Eminent Philosophers.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Summary: Nico's flashback turns into a nightmare, or is it something more?

XxxX

Nico's mind spins as if caught in a whirlwind. His eyes feel like they're detached and bouncing in his sockets, his brain smashed against the back of his skull – it's all he can do to not pass out.

And then it stops. His legs wobble like half-cooked spaghetti noodles, his stomach churning, and the smell of the ocean – the sting of its spray on his skin – is all around him.

When his head stops spinning, he opens his eyes and gasps, clutching hastily to find hand holds to cling to. His feet perch precariously on a rock crag, barely wide enough for his shoes, while ocean spray hits him with every wake. When he's certain he's not in immediate danger of falling, he gets his bearings. There are several more rock crags, rising like the spine of a sea serpent about a quarter mile from the coast, and opposite him is the enormous rock Will had told him about. A girl's face looking up to the sky, rising about forty feet above the ocean's surface.

He wonders if he's dreaming, but the sneaker wave that smacks his body to the crag, dousing him in freezing water and forcing him to cling to the rock face so hard it cuts his skin, is all too real. He focuses on the sandy beach and dissolves into shadow.

He reappears on the beach, cursing himself for not aiming a bit further out to where the beachfront cottages stand. Instead, he drops to his knees, his jeans stiff with salt water and sand. It's got to be early evening, though it's hard to tell with overcast sky. Everything is drab and grey and the beach is vacant but for him.

"_Heh, heh, heh … Fools,_" a low voice _laughs_ in a drawn out hiss.

Nico freezes in place, hardly daring to breathe, his hand on the hilt of his sword. A serpent, larger than any he's ever seen, lunges from one of a series of small caves. It slithers across the sand, greenish vapor rising like steam from its emerald scales, and disappears into a patch of tall grass, obscured by the Mist.

Nico turns back to the cave as a young boy stumbles out – blond hair, blue eyes wide and frozen in shock. He favors his right leg, makes it a few feet onto the beach, and then collapses and is still.

Nico sucks in a breath. It's Will as a child and his shirt is soaked in blood.

__It's the story Will told me about. I'm in a memory, or a dream, but who …__

"A–POLL–O!" Face Rock calls out to the sky, and returns to her frozen stillness with a boom of smashing rocks.

Nico grabs the side of his head, his eardrums throbbing, and then shields his eyes with his arm as the sun explodes like a comet headed straight for the beach.

He chances a peek from under his arm, black spots dancing in his vision, his ears ringing. Apollo, not as he had looked at Camp Half-Blood, but an older version, larger, more muscular, drops beside Will and touches his side. White light springs up from the wound, brighter than any Nico has ever seen and then sinks back down, disappearing into Will's body.

Nico watches as Apollo picks up his son and carries him into one of the nearby cottages.

He looks to his right and left, wondering how in Hades he's even here, and if he tried to shadow-travel away, if he would make it back to Camp Jupiter or not. But his thoughts scatter as another comet streaks across the sky, shot like a bottle rocket from the house Apollo had gone into with Will. After a couple of minutes, a woman races past Nico, not seeing him, and falls into the sand where the tide is coming in, sobbing.

"Will! My only son! How can you be gone?" She bends with grief and the thin green cotton scrubs she wears cling to her like a second skin.

"Alas, my Daphne." Apollo's voice rises from behind.

He whips around, meeting the sun god face to face. Apollo's dressed in the same outfit he had been wearing when Nico had mistaken him for Will: a Camp Half-Blood tank top, cut off jean shorts, and flip-flops. He's sitting few feet away, his knees up, forearms resting on them, back bent, watching the grieving woman as if she was an interesting piece of art.

"Are you actually here?" Nico demands.

Apollo turns to meet his eyes, his blond hair blowing in the rapidly cooling breeze, his tanned skin making it look almost white. He frowns at Nico. "I'm here. Just a little under the weather at the moment, but I can still travel through dreams."

Nico blanches. He's not sure which one of them is having the dream. _He's_ certainly never witnessed the memory that had just played out. He feels exposed, like he's been caught doing something wrong and he hates it. "Was there something you wanted? Any reason for this visit?"

Apollo glares at him, sizing him up. "You're not like most sons of Hades." His eyes soften, tension relaxing. "I get what Will sees in you. You've got …" he gestures vaguely, "… depth."

Nico grits his teeth and turns back to Will's mom. "What did you do to her?" he asks. He wonders if his own mother would have grieved the same way, but she had died first and he hadn't understood.

"It's a curse I bear," Apollo says with a sigh. "The damned upstart, Eros, shot me with his arrow. Every few centuries a new 'Daphne' catches my eye and no matter how hard I try to tell her who I am, she doesn't believe me. You'd think the asshole would lay off after a few millennia, but Eros always was a bully."

Nico doesn't want to think about Eros. He hates the fact he can empathize with Apollo, but then he wonders why.

__Is it just that I'm embarrassed? He's easy going. He hasn't given me any grief for mistaking him for Will.__

Nico watches as the woman pulls herself to her feet, still crying, and walks back to the house. He turns back to Apollo. The god looks wrecked. His eyes are puffy, his shoulders slumped, and the darkening sky covers him in shadow, as if his inner light has dimmed, making his face gaunt, almost ghostly.

"I took Will away from her so I wouldn't … " He sighs again, and tears stream down his cheeks. "She has three young daughters. I get so angry … Do you know what it's like to speak the truth to someone you love and all they hear from you is lies?" He sobs quietly to himself for a few moments, then sniffles, "Now my beloved … I can't reach her …" and dissolves into a mess of tears again.

Nico turns away. He's uncomfortable seeing guys cry, until he remembers Will. Will doesn't hide his emotion; he makes Nico feel not so odd, so set-apart, and he never hides his tears.

"I … uh …" He clears his throat. "I showed your song to Rachel Elizabeth Dare. A messenger brought it to me in another dream. She's sick, too, and … and I should probably wake up soon to check that she's okay."

Apollo stares at Nico, eyes wide in amazement, almost pleading. He straightens up, stretching his legs out in front of himself, propping himself upright with his hands, like he's pretending to be unconcerned. Will's right; Apollo sucks at acting.

"Yeah, that was one of my more brilliant creations. The Valdezinator took a long time to master, I'm telling you, but it was totally worth it. Did you like my lyrics?"

Nico narrows his eyes, trying to see through Apollo's nonchalance to what he's really trying to say, and then thinks back over the lyrics. And then about how Zephyros delivered them, a particular lyric springing to mind. His face grows hot as anger licks up inside him. He missed the obvious.

"When shadow and sun come together as one?" he hisses darkly. "What kind of game are you playing?"

"What do you mean?" Apollo asks, forehead wrinkling. "I wrote that from the heart. My inner voice, the truth, cannot be silenced. The Valdezinator translates emotions into music, and my emotions are not a game."

Nico's not buying it. "If I'm the shadow and Will's the sun, what's it mean 'come together as one'? I mean, Styx! You even got Zephyros in on it. Eros's errand boy! Why didn't I see it sooner?" Nico clenches his fists. "I am _not_ a puppet of the gods! I don't acknowledge Eros!"

Apollo makes a timeout hand gesture, and sits forward, crossing his legs. "Hold up there, kiddo. That might be _your_ interpretation of my lyrics, but it is certainly not what _I_ intended. I was thinking about a solar eclipse at the time." He narrows his eyes. "And what in Hades does that creep of wind god have to do with my song? He's lucky I'm laid up or I'd pluck his wings for interfering."

Nico studies Apollo's face, his indignation, his righteous anger. He doesn't sense any deception. "He's not … " Nico's anger runs out of steam. Zephyros is annoying, but he doesn't want to see the guy get his feathers ripped out. "He only delivered the song. Said we'd need it on our quest, and … and he seemed really down, kind of depressed."

Apollo rolls his eyes, but his inner glow seems to be coming back. Nico can see him clearly again despite the darkness. "Zephyros is an airhead. What the hell does he have to be depressed about? It's not like _he's_ got an eternal wound."

Nico shakes his head. He doesn't even know why he's trying; gods are impossible to reason with. "I dunno. He had tears in his eyes. He said he accepts his position and deserves his punishment. He seemed lonely. I mean, he said he wanted to make friends with _me_, a child of Hades. If that's not desperate, I don't know what is."

Apollo doesn't contradict him. Will would have, but Nico kind of finds it refreshing to just talk to somebody who isn't trying to make him feel better about himself, who just listens.

"He was contrite?" Apollo muses, though his mouth turns down and he draws his chin up, like he's skeptical. "Well, it has been three thousand years. If I get well, I might pop in and talk to Eros about cutting him a little slack. I mean …" He shrugs, eyes turned towards the sky, considering. "He's not hard on the eyes …"

Nico coughs into his hand. He doesn't want to know where that line of thought is headed. "Is that all? I mean … I think I passed out having a flashback. My friends are probably wondering if I'm okay ... "

"Thank you," Apollo says, holding out his hand. Nico shakes it warily. "The rest of the song … I hope … I don't want to fade away." He releases Nico's hand and dramatically clutches his own chest, talking more to himself than to Nico. "…and she's sick? But she saw the words. That's a relief."

Nico wonders if he can make his escape now, then, how he's supposed to go about it.

Apollo halts his plans. "You're full of surprises. I never thought I'd meet a son of Hades who could be so sensitive."

Nico scowls. His instant retort of _I am NOT sensitive!_ dies before reaching his lips. He _is_ sensitive; Will is too. He looks up at Apollo and takes a chance. "Plato's Symposium …"

Apollo blinks, apparently not expecting the change of subject, but as Nico watches, it seems like understanding flashes across his face.

Nico continues. "You healed the mortals after Zeus divided them. And now we wander the earth, half-ourselves … searching …"

In a flash Apollo is sitting beside him, shaking his head, lips turned up like he has all the answers in the world. It's infuriating.

"Father _said_ he intended to divide the mortals to reduce their power for greatness. He's always been like that, worried he'll be overthrown," he adds in an undertone. "It worked to the extent that mankind is more powerful when they cooperate with each other, there's more potential for greatness, but even split in two, they are perfect and whole. Zeus doesn't like to admit that his real reason for dividing them was to correct his own error." Apollo laughs. "You should have seen them – absolutely impossible to take seriously, let alone to get around.

Nico's not sure if he feels like crying or laughing. He's been hoping to hear a logical explanation for this story that's plagued him so long. "But the sexes … divided into men and women … their pull towards each other…"

"Nico." Apollo slings his arm over Nico's shoulder as if he was one of Apollo's kids. "There are more than only two sexes, more orientations than even Zeus can comprehend. Plato simplified the story as he was using it as an analogy that the people of his day would understand."

"It's because Zeus is repressed himself that he shuts others down. He's always like that. So annoying. That's why I'm always in trouble. He thinks punishing me will weaken me, make me less able to overthrow him. The truth is that I probably could if I wanted to. I understand the hearts of mankind far better than he does, but it's not in my nature to rule." He stops, pauses. "Well, I _do_ rule, but gods, can you imagine the headache of heading up the pantheon?" He sticks out his tongue. "If he'd just let people be, let me be who I am, he'd see I'm not a threat. He might even cut his tie to Hera and get in on the fun."

Nico stares at Apollo. What is he supposed to say after hearing such a thing? Can it possibly be true?

"But I got sidetracked." Apollo looks into Nico's eyes, winks, and gives his arm a squeeze. "You're perfect and whole exactly as you are. That's not to say your potential won't grow and blossom the more you open yourself up to the idea it could and share yourself with others … friends, lovers, family. Rest assured though that you are _not_ a mistake." With that, Apollo dissolves into a golden mist, obscuring Nico's sight.

The next thing he knows, he's lying on a bedroll in Reyna's quarters, looking up at the mosaic of Lupa and her wolf cubs. It's dark and there are voices talking, but he's not ready to let them know he's back, that he's awake. The sensation of relief in his chest is too fresh, too raw – a soul-deep wound newly healed. He needs time to get used to the feeling.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Summary: Nico overhears a private conversation between Will and Reyna.

XxxX

He's warm and comfortable, the murmuring voices becoming clearer as his ears adjust to wakefulness. He turns his head to the side, sensing he's not alone on the rug. He opens his eyes a crack to find Rachel Elizabeth Dare's sleeping face. She's curled on her side next to him, though they have separate bedding. Nico feels strangely comforted to see her. The death he'd sensed in Apollo is weaker in her, barely registering now. He looks back up at the dark ceiling, the velvet draping the walls further darkening the room, and closes his eyes.

The voices had fallen silent, but they start once more, and Nico listens to what they're saying now, hoping their gentle vibrations will carry him back to sleep.

"What happened to your arm?" Reyna asks.

Will takes a moment to answer. Nico can hear him fidgeting with the cuffs of his jeans. "It's nothing, really." He pauses, as if Reyna's giving him a look. "Just something I needed to do. I had a dream, a hunch ... If it pans out, I might be able to help my dad ... and Rachel." There's another long pause. "How're you hanging in there?"

Reyna releases a long sigh. "Better, thanks. Sleep helped, and ... _she_ seemed to sleep better than when I was just watching over her."

Will chuckles softly, and the sound awakens Nico's nerves. The hairs on his arms prickle, and even his toes feel awake, tingling.

"May I ask you a personal question?" Reyna's voice.

Nico hears Will shrug. He can imagine the face he's making – all carefree and up for anything.

"How long has it been?" Reyna nearly stammers. Nico perks his ears, trying not to miss anything. It's not like her to be flustered.

"Hmm?" Will sounds like he's half-asleep, unaware that he's being shown a great honor having Reyna speak to him so casually. Will's like that, though; he gets people. _Like his father._

Reyna's voice is lower this time, hesitant. It's not like her, and Nico strains his ears wondering what she could possibly be asking.

"How long have you had your eye on Nico?"

Nico flushes. He swears he can feel Will's face heat up from where they're seated at the table. He keeps his eyes shut, his heart hammering.

"Uh –"

"C'mon. Don't tell me you're embarrassed," comes Reyna's teasing whisper. It must be the darkness that's making her bold. That, or it's Will's casual presence. A lot of people seem to go to him to talk things through. Maybe his gift at healing makes him a good listener.

"No. Not really. Just … keep quiet about it. He's already working out a lot of stuff. I sometimes hate that it took me so long to say anything." Nico imagines Will's scrubbing at the back of his neck as he says it, like he does when he's nervous.

"How long?" Reyna's tone lightens at the end, a teasing lilt.

Will snorts softly. "Uh. I'm not exactly sure … he just … draws my attention, you know?"

Nico hears Reyna tap her fingernails briefly on the tabletop. "Mm-hmm."

Nico opens his eyes as slits – still feigning sleep – staring at where they're shrouded in darkness, their silhouettes barely visible. "I didn't really start crushing hard 'til the Battle of Manhattan. That's a couple years ago."

As Will talks, Nico thinks he's able to see him more clearly even in the dark, as if he's lighting up a little from within. Though, it's likely his eyes are only adjusting to the darkness.

"I mean … _Damn_. Nico came charging up Fifth Avenue, dressed all in black, this skeletal helmet on … just … standing tall like a dark prince._Kronos_ himself called him out and – I mean, we were like, twelve – and he just drew his sword and flat out challenged him. The titan – father of Zeus. It was completely badass. I – uh, have a bit of a thing for people who stand up to authority, who kinda go against the grain."

Reyna giggles. Nico's not even sure he isn't dreaming. "Bad boys," she murmurs.

"Yeah," Will agrees. "Hot. After the battle I was completely gaga. But it's hard to tell if …" He sighs, "… if someone's gonna shoot you down if you hit on them. I got that sorta 'zing' feeling about him, but he was very much inside his own head. I didn't want to pry and risk getting rejected. After that, he seemed to get more distant and eventually stopped coming around. Makes me wonder … if I'd spoken up sooner … if I could have saved him from a lot of painful things, just let him know he didn't have to be alone. But then, too – if I had – it could have changed the outcome of the war and the fates, blah blah blah."

Reyna makes a contented sigh and Nico can barely make out her squeezing Will's hand on the tabletop. "He knows now."

"Yeah," Will says quietly. "What about you?"

Reyna stiffens in her chair and clasps her hands on the table. "What do you mean?"

Nick catches Will's slight head jerk in his and Rachel's direction. "You like her."

"She's … um … damn it."

Nico can't help but raise his eyebrows at the sound of Reyna getting flustered. He turns his head and Rachel's eyes meet his, just as surprised. She mouths a 'shhh', and darts her eyes back toward their voices. Nico remains silent.

"It's all right, I won't say anything," Will says. "Forget it."

"No … it's not you." Reyna taps her foot absently on the marble floor, then seems to realize she's doing it, and deliberately stops. "I want to tell you, but … I'm afraid saying it out loud will jinx it? Gods, that sounds stupid, even to me."

Will's grinning, he has to be. The way he shrugs in his seat spells mischief, and amazingly, Reyna seems to relax. "Nico's afraid of the same thing. You and he have a lot in common."

Nico furrows his eyebrows at that and Rachel seems to be trying not to laugh at him, her lips pursed to keep from making a sound. _How the hell does he know that?_

"Ow," Will says, and Nico turns back to watch their shadowy outlines.

"Sorry, shhhhh …"

"Well, you don't need to kick me for calling it like I see it."

"You Graeci and your lack of discipline are a bad influence," Reyna says, chuckling. She seems to collect herself and lowers her voice. "This stays between us, right?"

Will must have nodded, because Reyna keeps talking. "I've always gone looking for guys that were strong, disciplined, self-assured, reliant … Roman, basically … and it never worked out. The chemistry was wrong or something; I thought I was defective. I know that sounds dumb."

Will shrugs again, and sits forward like he's looking her in the eye. "Not dumb. It's evidence-based reasoning. Perfectly logical."

"Venus told me a couple of years ago that I wouldn't find love where I was looking for it, that 'no demigod would heal my heart'." She sounds a little bitter when she quotes Venus.

"Reyna," Will says softly. "You understand what she was trying to tell you?"

Reyna sighs. "Yeah. I have to heal my own heart. I'm alright with that – figuring myself out before I …" She pauses briefly. Sighs again. "But it's like you said; 'Zing' – and I feel like I'm walking around blind. I don't even know. Who am _I_ really? Daughter of a war goddess, a Roman praetor. Not exactly the sort an artsy type would go for … if she could even look past the fact I'm not a man."

"No," Will says, his voice certain. "She's already sworn off men."

"What do you mean?" Reyna asks, lowering her voice halfway through as though realizing she's forgotten to whisper.

"By taking the Oracle, she's like, the vessel for my father's better half."

"So … she's married to Apollo?"

"Not really. She's still Rachel, but the Oracle is a part of Apollo – you might say his feminine side – but even that isn't quite right. Apollo needs an outlet to voice his prophecy – without her he's not whole. He chose the Oracle at Delphi. Because of that, he won't marry and the priestess who carries the Oracle swears off marriage, too."

"But then, that rules out relationships, doesn't it?"

Reyna had never confided in _him_ about relationships; they'd only talked about their pasts and their daddy issues. Nico's almost jealous that Will seems to have reached her where he couldn't. And yet, as he listens, he realizes he wouldn't have had the answers if she had brought it up. He'd have still been hung up with his own questions. It's probably better that Will take this topic.

Will puts his arms on the table, leaning forward on them, mirroring Reyna. "Apollo's more flexible than other gods. I mean…" He sounds embarrassed. "If ever there was a god …" He breathes out sharply through his nose. "He's a bit of a dick, sometimes. Mostly he's jealous of other men. He's not going to forbid … actually he'd probably get off … Uh – I'm going to stop talking now."

Reyna stifles a laugh with her hand, and then whispers again. "I can't believe we just had this conversation. My face has to be beet red."

Will scrubs at the back of his neck. "Thankfully it's dark. Nobody has to know."

They fall silent for a full minute, Nico fighting to keep from breathing too loud. He wonders how Rachel is reacting to what they just overheard.

Reyna gets to her feet. "I'll go and fetch some food if you want to check on them. We should all probably eat something soon."

She sweeps past the bedroll and Nico watches her go until the curtain covering the door is pushed open and daylight streams in, displacing the shadows.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Summary: The pieces start coming together.

XxxX

The bedrolls have been cleared away and Nico and Will sit across from Reyna and Rachel on the ornamental rug, a plate of sandwiches and several bottles of water at the center. He munches on half of a pb&j, attempting to ignore the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a sword.

Reyna sits cross-legged with Rachel in front of her, Rachel's head resting on Reyna's shoulder, her legs extended. Nico senses Rachel's discomfort at not being able to talk to Reyna about what they'd overheard, but doesn't bring it up; it's not his place. Will passes them a couple of water bottles and pushes the plate closer so Reyna can reach. His left forearm is wrapped in gauze, and though he's mostly using his right arm, Nico catches the bloody patch Will seems to be trying to hide.

Finally, Nico can't take it. He's got to break the silence before his head explodes. "What did you do to your arm?"

Will had just taken a bite of sandwich and seems to chew longer than necessary before he swallows to answer. "I'll tell you about it in private."

The way his eyes plead reminds Nico of Apollo, and of all the things he'd like to discuss in private himself. He nods. It still doesn't help dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"Rachel," Reyna says. "Is it alright if I show them the scrolls?"

"Yeah!" Rachel says, a little overenthusiastic. She blushes. Nico can't say he blames her for wanting to latch onto a safe topic of conversation. "That's a great idea."

"What's this about scrolls?" Will asks. He stands up. "Want me to get them?"

Reyna smiles. She points at the table behind them. "They're just on the end. Before she fell ill, Rachel and Ella were recompiling the Sybilline books. They had started by copying the remaining verses from Jupiter's temple floor when..."

"When Reyna came in to check on our progress and I'd apparently made some doodles in the borders without noticing," Rachel finishes for her.

Will returns with several scrolls and dumps them in front of Reyna.

"Knock knock." Lou Ellen's voice comes from the doorway.

"Can we come in?" Hazel adds.

"Sure," Reyna says, and they shift over to make room. "We have sandwiches; help yourselves."

Frank lumbers in behind the girls, but doesn't sit. He leans against the table behind Hazel and Lou Ellen, as if standing guard, and accepts a sandwich when Hazel passes it to him. Reyna holds out a scroll to Hazel and she unrolls it.

"What are we looking at?" Lou Ellen asks.

Reyna points at the picture drawn in the lower right corner of the paper. "The picture there. What does it look like?"

"Looks like caves," Hazel says, passing the scroll to Will. He brings it closer so Nico can get a better look.

Nico starts. He's just seen those caves in his dream. The muscles in Will's forearm tense as he holds the scroll, and Nico can tell he recognizes them too. But before he can say anything …

"This one is a tree and its roots," Hazel says. Will sets down the first scroll and they wait for the girls to hand it over.

"It's upside down," Lou Ellen observes, then cocks her head. "Or sideways. It's a laurel."

"Apollo's sacred tree," Will murmurs, loud enough they all catch it. He accepts the next scroll from Lou Ellen, and Nico leans over to look at the drawing. It's a very simple illustration drawn with a ballpoint pen, but the shape of the leaves and trunk are recognizable as a laurel tree.

"And this one," Hazel says, unrolling a third. "That's the rod of Asclepius, the god of healers."

Will tenses again when they hand him the scroll, and instead of holding it for Nico, he passes it to him.

Nico looks at the the drawing. A serpent coiled around a long walking stick. He turns to Will, who has gone silent. "Hey," he bumps Will's side with his elbow. "Asclepius is another son of Apollo. Do you know what kind of snake this is?"

Will exhales slowly through his nose. He looks frustrated and trying not to be. "It's a python." His voice is quiet.

Lou Ellen starts. "That's what's poisoning the Oracle, right? Didn't you say you thought it was Python, Will?"

"Yeah, but it's not _the_ Python. What's the next picture of?"

Nico can't help notice Will's not-so-subtle sidestep in the conversation.

"It's a girl's face, her profile. Like she's coming up out of the water," Hazel says and passes the scroll to Nico, as Will is leaning back on his hands. "Okay, Solace, spill. What aren't you telling us? It's plain as day that you're all wound up."

Nico senses anger rising up in Will. His mind works overtime, and before he knows it, he's answering for him. "It's Face Rock. Will grew up on that beach. That's where those caves are from too."

The rest of the room falls silent. It's unnerving. He plunges on ahead when he doesn't feel any resistance from Will, and Will seems to not be in a hurry to speak for himself.

"I think that's where we need to go next. Actually. I was just there."

That made the difference Nico was hoping for. Will seems to forget his own angst and instead shifts in place so he's facing Nico, reaching out and touching Nico's arm.

"When you passed out?"

"Yeah." Nico studies Will's eyes, sees pain in them, but he can't do anything to help it now. He looks back at the group watching him, and tries not to scowl at being the center of attention.

"Apollo visited me. First I saw the memory Will told me about from when Apollo took him away from his mom. She didn't believe Apollo was a god, and even though Will was attacked by a monster, she didn't protect him, didn't see it."

The sympathy rising from the group is tangible. It makes him feel sorry for Will for having all those feelings heaped on him, on top of being forced to relive his worst memory. But strangely, Will seems to respond to it, his tension easing.

"My mom's name is Daphne. She's a psychiatric nurse. We lived on Bandon beach. Apollo told me the only way he could protect me was to make her think I'd been pulled into the ocean by a rip current. Apollo tried to warn her about what life is like for demigods, but she just thought he was a lunatic and threatened to get a restraining order against him."

"What about your sisters?" Nico asks. It makes him curious – Will never mentioned a stepfather.

Will shrugs. "I was nine when Apollo took me. My mom is a bit of a free spirit. She had my sisters and never mentioned who their father or fathers were. They're Cassie, Sam, and Liz. The older two are twins."

Lou Ellen scoots across the rug and sits on Will's other side, hugging him with one arm. "It'll be okay. But if Apollo showed this to Nico, then …"

Will smirks and cocks an eyebrow at Nico. "Ready to meet my mom? We're gonna have to if we want to defeat Python."

Nico swallows past the lump in his throat. He's not sure why it's even there. It's not like he's scared of monsters. But meeting Will's mom – who thinks Will's dead and doesn't believe in the gods – yeah, that's frightening.

Reyna clears her throat. Rachel's fallen asleep on her shoulder and at some point Reyna draped her purple praetor's cape over her. "You're sure this is where you need to go? I thought the Oracle was at Delphi in Greece."

Surprisingly, it's Frank who answers her. "But all the symbols point to Will's mom's place, Reyna. It stands to reason the Oracle would have moved along with western civilization, right? Mount Olympus is in New York now. The laurel tree is what the original Daphne turned into to escape Apollo. And it's uprooted - like it's moved - transplanted." He points the toe of his boot at the last scroll. "What's that one?"

As Hazel unrolls it, a voice calls out. "Friends are in here?"

Frank looks to Reyna, who nods, then he walks to the door and Tyson comes in with Ella hopping behind him.

"Have something to eat, you two," Reyna offers, and Will and Nico scoot even closer to Rachel to make room for them.

Ella flutters to the rug and takes a sandwich. "Peanut butter is Tyson's favorite." She passes it to him and pokes around the plate. "Turkey is good for Ella, but not cheese. Cheese is bad for harpies."

Will leans forward to take Ella's sandwich, plucks the cheese off it and hands it back. He looks up at Tyson and then passes the plate to him with the rest of the sandwiches. "How's it going, Tyson? You hear anything from Percy lately?"

Nico's whole body tenses, and then Will casually drapes an arm over his shoulders and he feels himself relax. _Weird._

Tyson finishes his sandwich before answering. "I like building temples. Jason is coming soon to dedicate them. Hannibal is fun to play with." He stops and scratches at his chin, then seems to recall Will's second question. "Percy does not know why algebra exists, but he is happy with his mom and Annabeth. Annabeth will make sure he graduates if it kills him." He shoves another half a sandwich into his mouth.

"That sounds like them," Nico says. It's odd not feeling the old longing spike in his gut at the idea of Percy being off with Annabeth. He likes the way Will's arm seems to fit around him, like he's a human coat.

"Um, guys?" Lou Ellen interrupts. She and Hazel have collected the scrolls and are scrutinizing the pictures. "This last one, I think it's an eclipse."

"Yeah," Nico says. "Apollo told me he was thinking about an eclipse when he wrote that song." He doesn't go into details about how _he_ had interpreted the lyric in question.

Ella burps and ruffles her feathers, sending crumbs everywhere. "Eclipse. Noun. An eclipse in which the sun is obscured by the moon." She shakes more crumbs off her wings as well as a few clusters of red down, then nudges the scroll with the eclipse on it with her taloned foot. "The fall of the sun, the final verse. Inoculate the source, to fate – reverse."


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Summary: When they realize their quest will involve facing the nightmares of Will's past, Nico and Will find some time to 'debrief'.

XxxX

The silence following Ella's pronouncement sits heavy in the air, like the quiet after an air raid siren ends. Nico's not sure he understands the second line of the prophecy and is about to ask Will if he does, when Tyson shuffles forward and lifts Ella off the rug. He dusts the rest of the crumbs off her hair and feathers. "Friends are good. But now it is working time." Ella climbs onto his shoulder. "Goodbye, friends."

Ella blushes nearly as red as her feathers when Tyson smiles at her. She ruffles her wings and turns to look at Reyna. "Tyson is strong. Ella's boyfriend is good at building temples."

After they leave, Hazel turns to Nico. "You three have a lot more to go on now, and a timeframe."

Nico raises his eyebrows, noticing Will from the corner of his eye, picking at a hole in his jeans. "What do you mean? I don't get the second line."

"Well," Hazel explains, "if the prophecy refers to a real solar eclipse, there's gonna be one in about five days. October 2nd."

Rachel stirs, lifting her hand to her chest. "Yeah. I think that's right. The pain gets worse when you mention the eclipse."

"So, it _is_ Python, right? Who we're going to have to defeat?" Lou Ellen asks Will.

He seems to sag a little, sitting cross-legged with his hands in his lap, shoulders slumped. Nico wishes there was a place he could go with Will, to just be alone for a while. He's not comfortable with the idea of cozying up with Will in front of everybody – at least not yet. There might be a time when he does get used to it. Apollo's words seem to thrum through his body.

__You're perfect and whole exactly as you are. That's not to say your potential won't grow and blossom the more you open yourself up to the idea it could and share yourself with others … friends, lovers, family.__

"Yeah. I think so." Will brings him back to the present when he answers.

"What about what Ella just said – inoculate the source?"

"I'm working on it," Will mumbles.

"What aren't you telling us, Will?" Nico asks. If Will knows what the prophecy means, and yet is acting down and put out – Nico's afraid of what's in store for them.

"Give me a chance to sleep first. Just a nap."

Nico narrows his eyes but doesn't say anything. He wonders if Will got any rest at all while _he_ had passed out. Nico thinks he looks rested, even clean, as if he's had a bath and washed his clothes.

"Praetor Zhang," Reyna says. "We need to make our rounds." She turns to Will, pointing at the wall draped with velvet. "Will, behind that curtain is a hallway to the praetorium. The room on the right is vacant, as Zhang chooses to remain in the barracks and I haven't been able to convince him otherwise. You and Nico should get some rest."

"I'll keep Rachel company, Reyna," Lou Ellen says. "Just until you finish your rounds."

"Yeah, and Lou Ellen can stay with me again, until they head out to Oregon," Hazel adds.

Reyna nods and gets to her feet. She seems to hesitate.

"Reyna," Rachel says, making Reyna halt her step. "Thanks for looking out for me." She hands Reyna her cape.

Reyna takes it and fastens it in place. "You're a valuable emissary to the legion. It's the least I can do."

Nico doesn't miss how Hazel and Frank exchange glances when Hazel climbs to her feet. He also catches the blush spreading across Rachel's face as the three Roman officers take their leave. 

XxxX

The room Reyna mentioned is sparsely furnished. There's a double-sized mattress on a plain metal bed frame in the corner. It's dressed with plain white cotton sheets tucked in with regulation 45 degree hospital corners. A plum-colored bedspread folded into a rectangle is draped across the foot of the bed. The only other furniture consists of a short table on the opposite wall with a matching bench, an oak chest beside the door, and a two-drawer dresser with a simple oil lamp atop it.

The walls are bare stone bricks and the only window is narrow and doesn't offer much light. Will crosses the room and covers the window with a velvet drape that looks like a remnant from the ones in the principia. Then he crawls onto the bed, and curls on his side watching Nico.

Nico feels a bit foolish still standing in the doorway. The thought crosses his mind that Lou Ellen and Rachel might think they came in here to mess around. He feels his cheeks grow warm. Then he wonders what would happen if they _did_ exactly that, and his face burns.

"You gonna come over here on your own or do I have to get up and carry you?" Will asks, smirking.

Nico rolls his eyes. He's being stupid. His legs shake as he crosses the room, and when Will doesn't move, just smiles up at him, Nico crawls over him and curls himself around Will's hips.

They don't stack well at this angle. Will's tall and he's … not. But the way Will grabs his arm and pulls it around himself – cuddling back against Nico's chest – convinces Nico to go along with it. He loves the happy sighs Will makes and presses his forehead against Will's neck, inhaling his scent. He's definitely had a bath, but the fragrance of suntan lotion still clings to him as if it's his natural musk. Nico can't get enough of it.

"You're not crying, are you?" Will asks, his voice vibrating through his back against Nico's chest.

"No," Nico says, stiffening a little. "Why? Do I sound like I am?"

"Sounds like you were sniffling," Will says and snuggles back against Nico even more.

Nico's face grows so hot, he thinks it might melt. "I – er – it's totally your fault."

Will turns in Nico's arms until he's lying on his back. They stare into each other's eyes. "How is it my fault?" There's laughter in Will's voice.

Nico stares at Will's lips so he doesn't have to look him in the eye. "You smell really good," he admits.

Will raises his arms in invitation, chuckling. "Sniff away."

Nico rolls his eyes, but it's a ruse. He's beyond happy to take Will up on his offer. He climbs on top of Will, straddling his thighs, then buries his face in Will's chest, breathing in deep. He loves it when Will rubs his back, and then gives him a scalp massage.

He can't help it. He feels connected at last – whole. It's not that Will completes him or anything like that, but after Apollo's reassurance, the hole in his soul – the gaping wound – isn't there anymore. He's more _himself_ than he's ever been, more comfortable in his own skin. Embracing Will feels good, natural. He trusts Will not to hurt him. Maybe it's that trust that makes it easy to open himself up, to share his pleasure and accept what Will has to give in return. His heart beats harder against his ribs, desire licking up his insides like a growing flame.

Nico kisses his way up Will's body to his throat, and then to his ear, breaths coming harsher, more ragged. He groans as Will moves his hands up the back of Nico's shirt, rubbing skin against skin, although the gauze around Will's arm is scratchy. He pushes Will's left arm up, holding it in place beside the pillow, and ducks his face into Will's armpit, inhaling deeply.

Will chuckles, his abs tight, a strangled groan in his throat. Nico lifts his head, meeting Will's eyes. Will is ticklish – he files that knowledge away for another time.

"Don't tell me this is where you're going to insist we stop and talk."

Will shakes his head. "We should talk, but how about after we sleep?"

Nico slips his hand up Will's shirt, learning the dips and curves of his chest, finding and teasing one of his nipples. Will's heart races under Nico's palm, so vibrant Nico can hardly stand it. Will's life force attracts him like gravity. He glances at the door, then back at Will.

"Can we?"

"If we don't, I'm gonna lose my mind," Will groans.

Nico pushes himself upright, still straddling Will's thighs, and tears his T-shirt off over his head. His reluctance to readily display his body isn't present anymore, not even on the edges of his consciousness. He runs his hands over his own chest, feels his nerves waking up under the caress, and watches Will watching him. Will looks dazed, drunk, and he doesn't seem to be able to tear his eyes from Nico. When Will touches Nico's chest, traces his nipples and drags his fingers down to Nico's waistband, it's too much and not enough. Nico wants Will to touch him everywhere.

"I want to see you naked for real," Nico admits. It sends a thrill running through his whole body when Will sucks in a quick gasp for breath, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Yes. Definitely."

Nico drops his hands to Will's fly, then pops the button. "Yellow today." He looks up, cocky grin in place when he sees Will's cheeks redden. "They suit you." And then they're kissing, heat passing back and forth, a _need_ building inside Nico that he's not going to be able to hold back much longer. He breaks the kiss with a whispered, "shirt off." Together in a tumble of limbs – kissing, licking, and biting lips – they manage it, leaving Will panting to catch his breath, Nico in his lap, legs and arms wrapped around his back, unable to stop if he wanted to.

"What's got into you?" Will gasps, as Nico sucks a love bite onto his neck, and then pauses to admire how it stands out against the tan line left from Will's camp necklace. Nico thrusts his groin against Will's stomach, drags his nails down Will's back, and sucks on his earlobe, instead of answering. "Ahh … I like it."

"Shut up, Solace," Nico says without thinking. He pulls away, far-gone in lust, hands gripping Will's shoulders, hips moving on their own with Will's hands on his ass. Will looks almost sad, when Nico realizes how that sounded. "Will, I _want_ you to touch me." He fixes Will with as serious a gaze as he can muster, his voice sounding ragged and beyond aroused. "Please. Touch me everywhere."

Will's pupils dilate as Nico watches, and the next thing he knows, Will flips them over – Nico on his back – and Will, standing on his knees, lowering his pants and underwear.

Nico rests against the pillow, taking in the sight. Will leans forward and Nico meets his lips, wrapped up in the moment and eager to share it.

XxxX

When he opens his eyes, the room is dark. He's curled up with Will behind him under the cotton sheet and bedspread. He has no idea how much time has passed.

Nico's body floods with heat, but Will just keeps holding on, hugging around his waist. It feels really nice – cuddled up under the blankets, skin to skin, just being together.

"I'm sorry," he says quietly. "I didn't mean to pass out."

Will's muscles tense and relax again, as if he's stretching. "Shut up, di Angelo. I'm more than happy to indulge your pleasures to the point of oblivion. I think I might have a gift."

Nico sinks back into Will's embrace – safe, whole – belonging. He touches the arm Will has draped over him, and finds the gauze bandage.

"When are you going to tell me what you did to your arm?"

Will nuzzles the back of Nico's neck. "When are you going to tell me what's changed about you?"

Nico swallows. It feels like entirely the wrong time and place to bring up Will's dad. "Did Reyna make it back alright?"

Will chuckles against his ear. "Changing the subject? Burn."

"Uhh – Sleep first?"

Will nods, bumping his nose against Nico's earlobe. He presses a kiss right behind it. "Yes. Talk after sleep."

Nico turns in Will's arms and kisses him. Their bodies seem to be able to say the words Nico longs to say but can't quite manage … yet.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Summary: Nico receives another dream visitor and when he wakes up, he's alone.

XxxX

**Thump!**

Nico opens his eyes, the familiar green shadows dancing across the ceiling of Hades Cabin.

__What in the name of Tartarus? What am I doing back here?__

He glances at the foot of his bed and it all becomes clear. "Zephyros, what do you want this time?"

Zephyros stands at the foot of the bed, dressed in a white turtleneck and black jeans. His smile slips at Nico's unenthusiastic greeting. He sighs and strolls around the coffin shaped bunk, then sits on the side of Nico's mattress. "Just like Apollo," he grumbles. "You never appreciate anything, and look at the mess _he's_ in now."

Nico glares at the wind god. "He's dying."

Zephyros shrugs. "I'm not buying it. He's the god of healing, and the sun - which is life-giving. He's immortal, di Angelo; get a clue."

Nico bristles. "I'm a child of Hades. I know death when I smell it."

Zephyros rolls his eyes. "Whatever."

Nico grips his blanket in his fists, exasperated. "Fine. Why are you here?"

He's sorry he asked when Zephyros turns, fixing him with a lurid grin and happily flashing eyes. "I came to enjoy the vi— uh, to hang out with you a while. Do I _need_ a reason?"

Nico looks down and realizes why Zephyros is still leering at him; he's naked. He pulls his red velvet blanket to cover himself, but Zephyros' weight keeps him from covering more than his lap. "You know what? I think you're a little obsessed."

Zephyros laughs, though Nico can't help but notice it's forced. "Yeah? Obsessed with what?"

"Not with what; with whom," Nico says, watching for a reaction.

He gets one. Zephyros narrows his eyes, then straightens up, his expression haughty, looking down his nose at Nico as if he's trying to prove he's not bothered. He's about as good an actor as Apollo. "I'm not obsessed with _you_ if that's what you're insinuating."

"Not at all," Nico says, then smirks. "But Apollo, on the other hand …" He pauses, laying the bait.

"I hate that guy," Zephyros declares emphatically. Nico lets him get on with it, watching Zephyros' face darken in the shadowy room. "Even after my master gave him a break, allowing Daphne to be caught, he still complains. She won't love him, doesn't even believe a word he says; though it's only fair, after what he did to his priestess Cassandra. I asked Eros why he bothered letting up on Apollo and he said he was weary of watching him mope all the time, always blaming Eros for Daphne's lack of desire for him. She's just lucky she didn't end up like Castalia."

"Who's she?" Nico asks, interested in spite of himself. He's come to like and even respect Apollo, but hearing Zephyros talk about his exploits, makes him wonder. Still, the way Zephyros lights up and gets excited, makes Nico suspect that it's more that Zephyros is jealous of all the girls Apollo chases, that he'd offer himself up in a heartbeat to be in their place. Nico's stomach churns when he realizes he was the same way about Percy for so long.

"She's another one of his 'Oracle girls,' Zephyros says, complete with finger quotes. "He's always making babies with them. I admit he makes cute kids, but he laid off the priestesses after a while. Probably since your father cursed the last one and trapped the Oracle inside her mummy. I think Apollo's finally realizing he's not doing them any favors, that the reason his relationships never last is that he's looking in entirely the wrong direction." He sighs, and his wings droop. "Castalia took his gift of prophecy and then refused to sleep with him. She ended up jumping off a cliff into the ocean to get away."

"What a dick," Nico can't help saying.

"I know, right?" Zephyros sighs again, staring mournfully at the torches of Greek fire on the opposite wall. "So yeah. That's why I'm _not_ obsessed with Apollo. You can just wipe that idea from your head."

Nico wants to beg to differ, but he doesn't really feel like getting into an argument with the West Wind. He's not sure if the god would be able to dissolve him into thin air and make his bones feel like jello while in a dream, and would rather not risk it.

"Anyway," Zephyros says, turning a pseudo-shy smile on Nico. "I brought you something to give to that lover boy of yours, Sunbaby, or whatever it is you call him."

Nico scowls. He's never called Will that before, though, when he thinks back, he might have thought it. He wonders if Zephyros has any power at all at plucking thoughts from people's minds. Jason had suspected him of reading _his_ mind. "Why don't you give it to him yourself?" As soon as the retort is out, he wants to stuff it back in. The last thing he wants is for this guy to start hitting on Will.

Fortunately, Nico supposes, Zephyros looks offended by the question. "I wanted to talk to you. Strange as it may be, I feel like I can relate to you." He looks Nico up and down, making Nico clutch his blanket harder. "But you don't seem to have any pockets tonight. I suppose I'll just stick this …"

"In my hand, please," Nico says, not even wanting to let his mind go wherever Zephyros was leading.

"Spoilsport," Zephyros says and deliberately places a small vial of red liquid into Nico's hand, holding on a lot longer than necessary. "It's from Asclepius." His eyes darken again. "Another of Apollo's spawn. He says to tell Sunbaby that a little of it goes a long way, so use it with caution."

"What _is_ it?" Nico asks.

"Hades if I know … I'm just the delivery boy."

Nico raises an eyebrow. "Who sent you? Was it Eros?"

Zephyros' face reddens, and then he changes tack. "You reek of love, Nico di Angelo. My master's arrow finally caught up with you." He leans forward until their faces are only a few inches apart. "You're lucky I'm forbidden to indulge or I might try and claim you for myself." He winks, and then disappears, leaving Nico feeling flustered and wrong footed.

XxxX

Nico opens his eyes, his hand automatically reaching for his sword, only to discover he's naked and holding the vial Zephyros gave him, not a sword handle. As he disentangles himself from the sheet, his backside twinges, and he flushes from his face down his chest, remembering what he and Will had been doing last night. He looks around. Will's not in the room. He touches the mattress and finds it cold on Will's side.

He climbs out of bed and dresses, slipping the vial into his jeans pocket, then makes his way to the principia. It's empty. Reyna and Rachel must be sleeping in Reyna's room. He steps out into the early morning. It's cold, autumn, and the fog drifts through the avenue separating the barracks like spirits of the dead. Though, as Nico picks his way through the silent street, he doesn't encounter any actual lares. He shoves his hands in his pockets, reminding himself to buy a coat in New Rome when the shops open. He's used to the cold; it doesn't bother him as it does most people, but after being around Will and getting used to being warm, he doesn't like it.

"Nico?" He turns, and Frank steps out of the Fifth Cohort barracks, looking as though he's just beginning his praetor duties for the day.

"Hey, Frank. What's up?"

"If you're looking for Will, he's down in the Field of Mars. He stopped by an hour ago to ask for some targets."

Nico frowns, wrinkling his forehead. "Targets?"

"Yeah, for archery. C'mon, I'll walk you down there."

He and Frank move through the fog, speaking in low voices. He supposes Frank doesn't want to draw the attention of any of spirits or legionnaires that might be up and about getting an early start.

"Will seemed to be in a bit of a mood this morning. He's normally laid back or quiet, but when he knocked on the door, he was agitated, like he was ready to jump out of his skin."

Nico wonders what could possibly have happened to alter Will's mood so much from when they fell asleep. He doesn't mention this to Frank.

When they reach the ridge leading down to the field, Nico can see Will relatively clearly. In the majority of the field, sunken in a bowl shape, the fog hangs low and thick, but around Will, there's a sort of golden glow that illuminates the space around Will and three bullseye targets. Will himself is shirtless, his quiver slung across his back, walking away from the targets after gathering his arrows. He doesn't seem to notice Frank or Nico.

Nico watches as Will takes his position and nocks an arrow, then draws back his arm, taking aim. Nico's eyes are fixed on how Will's muscles tense under his quiver; the sight sends a pleasurable thrill racing through his nerves. Will lets the arrow fly and moves, faster than Nico can follow, with a second and then a third arrow. They hit the target almost at the same time and Frank whistles lowly, as Will readies his aim at the second target. "He's better than I am, and the bow's my preferred weapon.

This time Will fires off four arrows in rapid succession, pausing only long enough to breathe and swing his arms, then shoots five at the third and his quiver is empty.

"Yeah," Nico says, a delayed response to Frank's observation. He says he doesn't like to shoot, that he hates the idea of killing. He's a healer."

"Seems like he might need to talk to somebody if he's suddenly changed his mind about that. I'll uh – be around if you need me."

"Thanks," Nico says, and Frank walks back up the same path they had come.

Nico makes his way down onto the field while Will collects his arrows. He steps out of the fog, into the lightened patch around Will, and Will stops when he sees him approach. "Hey." Will's voice is sullen.

Nico looks at him, not realizing he's staring at Will's chest until Will makes an amused chuckle. He quickly corrects his mistake, meeting Will's blue eyes, brighter than usual. "We slept," Nico says. "Should we talk now?"

"Yeah," Will sighs. He stands his bow on its end, and it transforms into a staff, the light around him dimming. The bow itself must be imbued with some of Apollo's light, Nico supposes. Will seems exhausted as they walk back up the field, and uses the staff as a walking stick.

Nico sidles up beside him and slips an arm around Will's waist, relieved when Will doesn't push him away, but instead drapes an arm around his back.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Summary: A demigod's quest is never easy; the more answers they find, the more questions crop up.

XxxX

Back in the praetorium room, Nico sits cross-legged at the head of the bed, his back resting against the wall, while Will searches his backpack for a clean shirt. Nico's not sure what to make of Will's changing moods. Moodiness is familiar to him, but seeing it happen to Will almost gives him the sensation of aversion. He's shed that skin and doesn't want to put it back on. But, too, seeing Will struggle, as if he doesn't know how to handle dark feelings, makes Nico wonder if it's not because of _him_ he's feeling them in the first place. He also wonders how much of himself Will poured into him when they rode back from Camp Jupiter after the last shadow jump fiasco. He'd revived Will by giving some of Will's healing back to him. Was Nico's healing kiss tainted?

"You're doing it again," Will says.

Nico looks up. Will's standing at the edge of the bed, arms crossed, eye brow raised, an amused crooked smile on his face. He doesn't look much different than he had during the final battle. "What?"

Will climbs onto the bed, crawls over to Nico and gives him a quick peck on the lips. He turns over and flops down, his head on Nico's legs. His legs are going to fall asleep if they stay like that. He lifts Will's head and rearranges himself so his legs stretch out on either side of Will and Will scoots himself up, his head on Nico's stomach, the top of his hair reaching Nico's chin.

Will answers his question as if no time has passed, taking the conversation pauses in stride, blue eyes looking up at Nico. "You're thinking that my being upset is your fault. It's not. I'm really okay, just not used to all the stress that's been pouring in on me all at once. It's nothing you did."

"Okay," Nico says, not sure if he buys the explanation. He brushes Will's overgrown bangs out of his face and Will closes his eyes, humming contentedly, as if he's an overgrown cat enjoying a pat. Nico indulges him, and pets his hair, looking absently at Will's feet, crossed at the ankles, bare. He notices the staff that had been Will's bow, propped up on the oak chest beside the door. "You lied to me," he says, almost surprised to hear himself say the words. He'd only meant to think them.

Will opens his eyes, they look odd upside down. "When?"

"You told me before you were no good at combat, that you wished you were better with the bow. The way you fired at those targets this morning … You lied."

"I didn't." Will's voice is quiet, but steady. Nico looks down to where Will is still gazing at him. "I can't kill things: people, animals … even monsters. When I've thought about volunteering for a quest in the past, the idea I would have to … I was violently ill – a psychosomatic response. I was attempting to overcome it this morning."

"Did it work?"

"I'm not sure." A shadow falls over Will's face. Nico realizes it's his shadow, but it seems to darken Will's mood again.

__Or it could be entirely coincidental.__

"I woke up angry. I was expecting..." Will exhales harshly. "My brother – Asclepius, the god of healers – visited me in a dream the other day. He said he had an idea that might have helped us – a way to save my father." He stops and Nico can feel him trying to hold back his anger.

"What was it? What happened?"

Will sits up and scoots until he's perched on the side of the bed, fists clutching the sheets beside his legs. "He said he was taking a huge risk even visiting me, but he had to. He's already under house arrest by Zeus. It's only a matter of time before Zeus throws him into Tartarus …" He breathes out again, as if collecting himself, refocusing. "He said he needed a blood and tissue sample from me, as it was Python that wounded me as a child. After Apollo healed me, my body would have built up antibodies to the poison."

"The same stuff poisoning Rachel and your dad?"

Will nods, staring at the floor. His anger is almost palpable now. Nico's not sure if it's just his eyes, but Will seems to be putting off an aura of heat. "So that's what I did to my arm. I sent it to him, but … It's not that I don't trust you, just I can't tell you who delivered it. I don't want to draw Zeus's attention."

Nico nods and draws his legs back up, crossing them.

"Asclepius got it. He prepared an elixir, a trial vaccine … He was supposed to give it to me tonight, but it was stolen right out of his hands. He's not sure if Zeus sent the West Wind to thwart him, or if it was somebody else, Eros maybe. But it's gone now and …"

"Uh Will?" Nico starts.

"But, it's not like Apollo doesn't already have enough going on. His old nuisance crops up again and pours salt on the wound. If I ever get my hands on that flighty bastard …"

"Will, just a sec. Look at me."

Will turns and meets Nico's eyes and Nico feels his heart jump in his throat. Will's so angry his eyes look like flames. Nico reaches into his pocket and pulls the vial out, hand shaking, not showing it to Will yet.

The flames go out as Will seems to read his fear. His eyes widen, mouth turned down, forehead creased. "You're afraid of me? What's happening to me, Nico?"

Nico makes his face a mask, swallowing his anxiety. It _is_ Will. And he's going through some sort of trouble. Nico holds out his hand and Will extends his own to meet it. "Zephyros brought it to me to give to you. I don't know why he stole it; I didn't realize it was stolen, or even what it was. But I don't think he intended to piss you off like this."

Will seems to shrink as he takes the vial and turns it over in his palm, studying it. "See, Nico. This is why I need you."

Nico raises his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Will stands up and shakes his legs and arms out, like he's trying to prevent his muscles cramping after a workout. He slips the vial into his jeans pocket, and climbs back on the bed. He pulls Nico with him so they're lying down, facing each other on their sides. "You help me balance out, calm me down. I'm not used to this turmoil, all the unknowns, questing. It almost feels like I'm fighting myself. I don't know if that even makes sense."

They're quiet for a long moment. Nico's thoughts turn without focus, like a rock in a tumbler: Python, Will's mom, Apollo, Rachel, his growing attachment to Will, the fear he felt, Will's eyes looking like flames.

__Like flames. The last time I saw eyes like flames was Phobos and Deimos, fear and terror.__

"Are you scared?" he asks Will.

Will smiles at him, sending a small thrill of pleasure down his spine, waking up his desire, his memory of Will's magic fingers. "I'm terrified. I'm glad you're the one with me on this quest. Lou Ellen, too, but …"

Nico doesn't want to talk about Lou Ellen right now. He shuts Will up, meeting his lips, chasing the kiss as deep as it will go. He's hyper-aware of Will's hands sliding under his shirt, his abs tightening, and need ramping up under their heat. They move up his back, pulling him closer to Will.

He holds onto Will's hip with one hand, shifts his knee between Will's thighs, and gasps when he feels Will's erection bumping his side.

There's a knock at the door. Nico wants to ignore it, but Will breaks the kiss, panting for breath, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

The knock comes again, harder, urgent. This time it's followed by Reyna's panicked shout. "Will, help! It's Rachel!"

Will is on his feet faster than Nico can register. He flings the door open, and Nico can only stare in alarm at Reyna. She's dressed in purple SPQR pajamas, eyes wide and pleading, her hair a dishevelled mess. She grabs Will's wrist and digs her nails in. "Help." She yanks on his arm as he slips on his shoes.

"I need to grab my bag, and I'll be right there." Reyna nods, releasing him, and races back to her room.

Will grabs his staff, and it changes into a small black doctor's bag. He throws Nico a look that seems to say _come with me_, and rushes out the door.

XxxX

Nico crosses the threshold of Reyna's room like a nightmare come to life.

Reyna's propping Rachel's head up in her lap while Rachel grabs at her own throat, her face turning purple, only the whites of her eyes showing. Will crouches next to her, running one hand under her nose and mouth, the other trying to prise her hands from her neck.

Wisps of green vapor, so faint Nico almost wonders if he's imagining them, seem to seep from Rachel's eyes and nose. Her mouth is open in a horrifying O, though no sound escapes. As he watches, she goes limp, losing consciousness. Nico's neck tingles as he senses Thanatos breathing down his neck.

"Oh, Gods. What is it? Will? What's happening to her?" Reyna cries.

Will doesn't answer right away. He pulls Rachel off Reyna's lap so she's flat on the floor, then puts his hand over her throat and chest. "The Oracle is trying to speak. It's blocked her from breathing."

"Will, she's dying," Nico says.

Will digs through his doctor's bag, setting several instruments out on Rachel's stomach. .

"What's going on?" Hazel calls from the door.

"Rachel?" Lou Ellen says, and Nico tries to keep them from entering, his hands held up for them to stay back.

"What are you doing to her?" Reyna shrieks, and Nico turns to see Will cutting a gash in Rachel's throat with a silver scalpel.

"Nico. I need to concentrate," he says.

Without thinking about it, Nico reacts. He concentrates on pulling the fabric of dreams over his friends. Three thuds sound in the hallway, and Reyna falls, lying on her side.

Will puts his fingertip inside the hole he's made, blood trickling down Rachel's pale neck, and then works a stiff plastic tube in its place.

In an instant, green smoky vapor pours from the top of the tube, along with an ancient, almost broken, disembodied voice.

"_The fall of the sun, the final verse  
>inoculate the source, to fate – reverse.<em>

_The wretched one must make a stand,_  
><em>topple the head, draw a line in the sand.<em>

_When a lion crows and the vortex spews_  
><em>forth the daughter he never knew,<em>

_then lethe ease a fallen pride_  
><em>and truth unveil a broken bride.<em>

_The early three will join no more_  
><em>and two in one reset the score.<em>"

The smoke stops and slowly dissipates as Rachel's chest rises and falls. Nico senses Death retreating behind him, and breathes easier, watching Will fix the tube in place with surgical tape. He pulls a glass vial from his bag and rips open a shrink-wrapped syringe with his teeth.

"What about the vaccine?" Nico hears himself ask. It's as if he's standing outside himself, half in the dreamworld and half out. "If you gave it to her, the source, the Oracle …"

Will shakes his head, and draws up a shot of cloudy white liquid. "It's only a trial. I can't risk it. This is an antibiotic."

He injects Rachel's arm, and then looks up to Nico.

Nico comes back to himself. Somehow he's made it across the room, standing at Rachel's head. "Can you get us, and Reyna, to the hospital in New Rome?" Will asks. He sounds exhausted. "She'll be fine if a real doctor takes over from here. Maybe even avoid scarring."

Nico nods, kneeling next to Will. "You're amazing," he tells him, and steals a kiss before Will can protest. Then Nico touches Reyna's face, reviving her. She pushes herself up as Will gathers Rachel in his arms. Nico reaches out, still crouching, gripping Will's leg and Reyna's arm, dissolving them into shadow.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Summary: After delivering Reyna and Rachel at the hospital in New Rome, Nico thinks deep thoughts and Will gets his cozy on.

XxxX

The hospital in New Rome is unlike any hospital Nico has seen – not that he's seen many. It's more like a school or even a community center than a hospital. It has a modern feel about it, despite being constructed to match the rest of the city center.

Uniformed attendants had met them when they arrived, and transferred Rachel onto a gurney. Reyna had gone with them as they wheeled her toward the operating and recovery rooms, but Will had hung back to make sure Nico would be okay waiting.

_"You're sure you don't want to come with us?"_

_"Get over yourself, Solace. The last thing I need is to risk more doctors taking a look at me and insisting I need to stay in the infirmary."_

That had brought a smile to Will's face. He'd promised to check back as soon as he could.

Nico sits on the steps of the hospital atrium, drinking an espresso and watching passersby get on with their lives. The atrium is like an outdoor park of flagstone paths, trees, flower gardens, and food stands – only it's indoors, covered by a high domed glass ceiling.

As he'd walked the corridors of the hospital building, he'd passed a large library, several classrooms, and more fitness gyms and Zumba classes than should be allowed. The hospital portion of the building doesn't seem to be its focus.

He's about ready to get up and find something to eat, when Will sits down on the step beside him.

"You hanging in there?" Will asks. Nico can't help noticing the trembling in Will's hands, the slight tremor in his voice.

He turns, meets Will's eyes. "How's Rachel?"

Will exhales hard, blowing his bangs out of his eyes, and gives Nico a relieved smile. "She's going to be fine. Probably won't even have a scar, thank the gods." He seems to notice his own hand shaking, holding it out in front of him. "Unfortunately, I'm a bit of a mess."

Nico stands and offers Will a hand up. "C'mon. Let's get something to eat, then we can head back. I think _you_ owe me some recovery time."

Nico buys a couple of panini sandwiches from one of the vendors, and together they walk down the granite steps of the hospital building to the streets of New Rome. Nico shivers when a gust of wind sweeps past and remembers his promise to himself to buy a new coat.

Will drags him into a clothing shop, leaving him standing by the doorway, feeling about as out of place as Jules-Albert in a Zumba class. His discomfort is relieved a bit when he sees Will searching a clothing rack of winter coats and overwhelming the salesperson by pulling down and rejecting about twenty of them. He hands her the discards until she's piled so high with coats, she looks like a coat mountain.

"Aha!" Will calls out. "Nico, c'mere! I found the perfect one!"

Nico makes his way past a couple of circular clothing racks to find Will has moved to the large mirror displayed on the wall, while another salesperson digs the first free from coat mountain. It's hard to keep from smiling. Will's so overly excited to please Nico he doesn't realize he's being a nuisance.

He approaches Will, who hides his 'perfect find' behind his back when he sees Nico coming.

"Will, I don't really care what it looks like …"

Will shakes his head. "No. Seriously. This one _is_ you."

"Alright, show me."

Will brings the jacket out from behind his back and holds it out to Nico. And Will's right; it is the perfect jacket for him, or was. He takes the soft brown leather and holds it up to his nose, inhaling. It's very similar to the aviator jacket he used to wear; it almost smells the same. His heart flutters in his chest. Nostalgia. He's tempted to push it away – to refuse to wear the jacket – citing memories of the past for why he doesn't want it, but he'd worn his old jacket even before his life fell apart. This new one … It's larger; the sleeves won't ride up on his wrists. A new model of the old skin to start over again?

Nico looks at Will again. He's furrowed his eyebrows, probably worried he's made a mistake by reminding Nico of his past. Nico lowers the jacket from his face, and then slips it on. His reflection in the mirror … He's not the same sad little boy anymore. The guy looking back at him is trying not to burst out laughing. Nico zips the jacket up all the way, the wool flap muffling his words. "I love it."

Will grins and rubs the back of his neck. "Good. Let me get this. Then I've got one more stop to make, and we can head back and hit the baths."

Nico's face flushes hot inside his new coat. Great. Now's not the time to think about bathing with Will, especially as the chance they'll be alone is miniscule, and Nico isn't sure he can be naked around Will anymore without getting hard.

But Will has already paid for the coat and holds the door open for Nico to step outside. They walk side by side, hands brushing more often than could be considered accidental, but Nico's not complaining. He watches a tree full of crows take off all at once and fly away in a great black blot against the sky, while Will stops by the apothecary to replenish supplies for his doctor's bag.

Vague reminiscences flit through Nico's mind as the crows settle again in another tree further down the street. A flock of crows is called a murder. He shivers, the story of Apollo cursing crows with black feathers rises to the surface. Apollo had set a crow to watch over Asclepius's mother for him, and when the crow announced she'd cheated on Apollo while pregnant with his son, he turned the crow's feathers black for not punishing the usurper, and then had his sister murder the unfortunate woman. He'd sent Hermes to save the baby from going up in flames with his mother's body on her funeral pyre, too chickenshit to own his misdeeds.

"Ready?" Will asks, drawing Nico out of his head again. As much as Will resembles his father, Nico's glad he seems to have inherited mostly pleasant traits from him and is repulsed by the idea of killing.

Nico nods and Will pulls him close, pressing them chest to chest in the shade of the tree. "Beam us out of here, Shadow Man."

Nico does, more to keep himself from looking like an idiot to passing people, than anything. They reappear beside the principia, Nico caught halfway between rolling his eyes and punching Will in the gut.

Will, apparently forgetting they're standing in public in a Roman military base, kisses the smirk off Nico's face, and wraps his arms so tightly around Nico's back, Nico can't do anything but kiss back – or so he tells himself.

"There they are," Frank calls and Will finally lets go. Nico feels unsteady on his feet, being so suddenly freed, and is thankful to be able to hide his blush behind his coat flap.

"Hey, Frank," Will calls, grabbing Nico's hand and dragging him over to face their friend (who probably just saw them making out in broad daylight.) Nico's going to kill Will Solace as soon as he gets his cheeks under control.

"What, in the name of Nyx, happened?" Lou Ellen shouts. She sounds furious, and perhaps sensing he needs to prepare to defend himself, Will releases Nico.

Nico and Frank watch as Lou Ellen smacks Will in the chest while Will holds his hands up in surrender, trying to get space enough to explain.

"You wouldn't let us in the room, didn't have the decency to tell us what was happening, and then demand your boyfriend knock us out so we don't get in the way! That was low! Oh! You are going to have a time of it, getting out of this, Will Solace!"

Nico has the urge to knock her out again, but Frank settles his heavy hand on Nico's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Let them work it out," he says, and then even lower: "Reyna sent us a message telling us what happened. Lou Ellen hates feeling helpless."

Nico swallows the guilt growing in his throat. He's not used his newly-developed power over dreams since the war. He'd panicked when Will called for quiet, and reacted without considering how rude it was to knock out his friends without their consent.

"It was an emergency!" Will shouts back. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't think …"

"Yeah? Well, it's obvious you didn't think! You never think! It's no wonder Katie ditched you!"

Will's retort dies on his lips and he gapes like he's been punched. Lou Ellen huffs, catching her breath, and then seems to realize she's just said something she shouldn't have.

"That was low." Will stands back, head bowed. "I'm sorry you feel slighted, but I'm not sorry Nico did what he did or that I asked him to. We saved a life."

"Will, I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean … You're right." She deflates. Her anger, snuffed out like a candle flame.

"Nico and I are going to get cleaned up and then sleep. We're leaving at dawn, and I need you with us."

She nods, frowning. "Yeah. I'll get my head on straight, and … I'm really sorry. I'll be ready."

Will rubs the top of her hair, making it stand out in a tangled black mess. "It's all good. Ancient history and all that."

"Uh, Lou Ellen and I need to get back to Hazel. She's been talking to Ella," interjects Frank.

The new words of the prophecy spring to Nico's mind. "Oh, the prophecy. Will, I don't think they heard …"

"Hazel heard it," Frank says. "She told me to tell you, you might be able to put her to sleep, but you can't stop her hearing."

Nico exhales, relieved. "Tell her I'm sorry."

Frank nods, and he and Lou Ellen head back the way they came.

"Ready?" Will asks, holding out his elbow for Nico to take.

Nico narrows his eyes. "I think you've had more than your daily allowance of public displays of affection from me. And don't think I'm not going to ask what that was all about."

They walk toward the baths, while Will begs Nico to let him have the rest of the day off from recounting past humiliations. Nico can't help it. He finds the idea of Will being humiliated amusing.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Summary: Nico and Will take a bath.

XxxX

The baths aren't far from the principia, and Nico's never heard Will complain about the cold before, so when he starts dramatically shivering, and batting his eyelashes, Nico calls him on it.

"No, you can't wear my jacket. It's mine."

Will sticks out his bottom lip, though there's laughter in his eyes, and bumps Nico with his elbow. "Meanie." Ten steps later, they enter the baths.

The way the bathhouse is set up is a bit different than Nico supposes it would have been in the Rome of old. They no longer use slaves, for one thing, and Nico counts that as a major improvement. They enter a small changing room with a washing machine, dryer, and a table for folding clothes. The opposite wall is lined with cubbies for placing shoes and personal belongings as well as shelves of white towels and washcloths. Nico folds his new jacket and places it carefully in a cubby, then takes off his shoes and socks. When he looks up, Will is already undressed and dumping his clothes into the washing machine.

Nico forgets what he's doing in favor of watching Will's ass muscles flex as he realizes he's just dumped Asclepius's vial in with his wash and bends over to retrieve it from his jeans. He turns back, and Nico realizes he's been staring.

Will grins and stows the vial in his own cubby, then returns to the bench Nico's sitting on.

_He's right there, right in front of my face. Anybody could walk in at any moment and yet he won't put on a towel. He's trying to torture me._

Nico stands up, deciding he's not going to let Will coerce him into another 'public display of affection,' and that's likely what Will has made his goal. Nico slips off his jeans and boxers, realizing too late, he's hard.

Will chuckles, hands him a couple of towels, and then finally wraps one around his waist. Nico's pleased to note, as he dumps his clothes in the wash and follows Will to the hot water baths, Will's towel is tented. At least he's not the only one risking looking like, well – a teen boy with a hard on for his friend. _Boyfriend,_ his mind amends, trying out the word. Gods, why is it so hard to just admit that's what they are?

_I can do this. I can make it through this. It's just a bath, right? No biggie._

It isn't as bad as he'd been expecting. There are three other boys in the bath when they arrive, Dakota and two others from the Third Cohort, Nico thinks. It's hard to keep all the demigods from two different camps straight in his head. His erection is gone by the time he climbs into the water. Dakota raises his flask of kool-aid in acknowledgement of their presence, and he and Will make small talk while Nico washes. He's eager to get clean and leave.

It doesn't seem to matter how much time has passed, or the fact the war with Gaea is over, and Nico and Hazel had proved themselves, Nico still feels the stigma of _child of Pluto_ in the way the Romans don't quite meet his eyes. And then he wonders if perhaps it might be that _he_ isn't meeting their eyes either. The thought pops into his head out of nowhere and seems to make perfect sense. He ducks under the surface of the water, rinsing himself, and then looks deliberately at the three guys talking to Will and joins the conversation.

XxxX

After Dakota and his friends take their leave, Will finally begins to wash.

"Hurry up, will you? I'm getting pruny."

Instead of taking the hint and hurrying up, Will grabs Nico's hand and examines his fingers.

"There's only one way to cure pruny fingers you know," Will says in his most professional doctor voice.

Nico rolls his eyes. "No, I don't."

Will fixes him with a penetrating gaze and sucks one of Nico's fingers into his mouth.

Nico's body reacts going rigid and pliant in turn.

"Someone could come in at any moment," he warns, though Will probably misses the warning, as it came out sounding more like a plea. Will's eyes darken, his pupils huge in the low light of the room. He allows Nico to pull his finger free, but catches him by his waist and pulls them flush together.

"I know," Will says, voice low and husky. "I thought you liked flirting with danger."

Nico feels himself going red from top to toe. The hot water doesn't help. Nico holds onto Will's shoulders, barely able to stay upright, lost in sensation.

"Nico," Will breathes. "I want you."

The declaration puts the brakes on Nico's brain. He tightens his grip on Will's shoulders, and pushes him back, using just enough force to break the spell.

"Not here," he murmurs. He turns away from Will, forcing himself to focus on getting out of the tub, grabbing his towel, anything but succumbing to the temptation of public sex with Will.

And it's hard. The idea tickles at the back of his mind that he'd likely be up for pushing the boundaries in the future, but now, he can't even say the words _boyfriends_ aloud. He's already pushing things further than is probably wise.

They fetch their clothes from the dryer. Will had had the foresight to ask Dakota if he wouldn't mind popping them in on his way out.

The walk back to the principia is short, almost surreal. Nico swears he can hear Will's heart pound, see his arousal rising off his body like glowing steam. The sense they're connected on another level, despite walking side by side and not touching, overwhelms him.

They make it back to the praetorium bedroom and Nico closes the door. Will tosses his bag on the bed and turns again, backing Nico against the door, holding his hips, fitting their groins together. His words are breathy when he finally finds his voice. "I want you so bad." He leans in and meets Nico's kiss, taking it deep.

Nico holds onto Will's ass through his jeans, guiding his grinding, bumping faster, and then slower, until Nico grips Will's hips and halts it. He backs away from the kiss, staring into Will's intoxicated eyes.

"Are you gonna make it to the bed?" Nico asks, raising an eyebrow. He means it to come across as a challenge, or even a dare, but Will is so wound up, he seems to take it as an invitation, a promise. Nico's fine with that. It probably sounded like he was begging when he said it. Will pulls his shirt off over his head, and tosses it aside, then reaches for Nico's jacket sleeve. Nico slips his arms free, staring again at Will's chest. He wants to run his hands over the smooth muscles, explore every dip and ridge, suck his small brown nipples until they stand as hard as pebbles.

Will takes Nico's hips again, thumbs rubbing up and down his hipbones. Nico inhales, nose pressed to Will's chest, getting high on the scent of lust.

"Can I touch you everywhere again?" Will asks, breath hot on Nico's cheek.

Nico looks up from under his eyebrows. "I'll kill you if you don't."

Will pulls Nico's shirt off, then yanks at his belt, while Nico works Will's jeans open. He follows Will's backwards progress to the bed, while they slip out of their jeans, leaving them on the floor. Will turns Nico around, and pushes him backwards onto the bed. He follows, kissing his way down to Nico's boxers. He traces his lips gently over the ticklish patch of skin above Nico's waistband.

Nico lifts his hips. He's through with dancing around, and more than ready to get down and dirty. Will pulls Nico's boxers off and drops his head, still standing, leaning over him. He lifts Nico's legs over his shoulders and drops down, kissing and licking his left hipbone.

Nico shudders, holding onto Will's hair, combing his scalp with his fingertips. He had no idea his hipbones were so sensitive, and the way Will's going at it – then pushing his face into the hinge of Nico's thigh – Nico feels like he's being reduced to pure sensation.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Summary: On the road to Oregon, Nico learns more about Will's past, and Lou Ellen is happy to share it.

XxxX

Nico stares out the window of the old Buick station wagon Jules-Albert seems to have made his own. They've been driving up highway 101 for a couple of hours and Nico enjoys the quiet of the early morning, watching the trees fly past. Will sits beside him in the back seat and Lou Ellen in the front. She's used her power over the Mist to make Jules-Albert look young, alive, and handsome, and he just seems happy to be driving again.

Will's asleep beside Nico, snuggled up under Nico's new jacket, while Lou Ellen hums occasionally to whatever music she's listening to on her ipod. Nico has spent some time learning about how technology has changed over the years, but he's not sure he's ready to embrace it. The fact that it amplifies demigod signatures to monsters is enough to put him off it.

He turns away from the window, watching Will sleep, memories of last night rolling around in his head and speeding his heart. He thinks he's finally ready to admit to himself that he and Will are boyfriends. After last night, he's almost tempted to use the word _lovers_, but that feels too sappy – like something Zephyros would say.

He frowns, thinking about the god of the West Wind. Zephyros had said he related to Nico, that he wanted to be friends with him. It's beyond bizarre, but Nico can't help feel a niggling sensation in the back of his brain that Zephyros was reaching out from the bottom of a huge depression, a last ditch effort to save himself from succumbing to it. He hopes things work out for the guy.

Will shifts in his sleep as if he's trying to roll over, but can't because of his seatbelt, and instead, leans his head on Nico's shoulder. Nico's heart races again, and he slides his arm around Will's back, thinking.

__He let me in. Accepted me.__

Nico shivers. He's not cold; rather, he's struggling to tamp down his arousal.

"Morning," Will murmurs against his shoulder.

Nico smiles, his cheeks warming up. "Hey."

Will sits up and stretches, or tries to. The Buick isn't as compact as some cars, but Will is so tall, there still isn't a lot of room for him to move around. "You never told me," he says, settling back in Nico's embrace. "What changed about you? Why don't I feel the darkness like I used to when I touch you?"

Nico darts his eyes at the back of Lou Ellen's head. She's nodding along with her music, and doesn't seem to notice they're awake. He takes Will's hand and threads their fingers together on his lap. "It was talking to Apollo actually; he cleared up something that's been bothering me for a long time."

Will exhales, humming low. "Sometimes he does have good insights – when he's not acting like a moody teenager anyway."

Nico doesn't miss the trace of bitterness in Will's voice. He searches for some sort of diversion. "Uh … Oh, you never told me about the humiliating experience Lou Ellen mentioned. You said you would if I dropped it for the rest of the night."

Will rolls his head against the back of the seat, looking up at the car's ceiling as if praying for an escape.

"You know, Will," Lou Ellen says from the front seat; apparently, she _had_ been listening. She's lowered her sun visor and watches them in its mirror. "I could start the story and you can finish it, if that makes it easier."

"Fine," Will says. He grips Nico's hand tighter. "Go ahead. I trust Nico not to judge me on my dirty laundry."

"Okay, good," Lou Ellen says, and Nico sees her eyes flash with mirth in the mirror. "So this was like three or four years ago, before the Battle of Manhattan. Will was going out with Katie Gardner, from Demeter Cabin …"

Nico stiffens, confused. "So, wait. You're bi?"

Will groans and snuggles closer to Nico. "I was _eleven_. I thought I'd lose my friend if I said no when she asked me out, and … Just let Lou Ellen tell it. She's a better story teller."

Nico looks back at Lou Ellen. She's smiling at them. "You two are too cute together. Right, so this was before I came to camp, but Will told me the whole thing. He said he didn't want to hurt her feelings, and she reminded him of his mom ... The person he really had a crush on ..." She smirks, stifling a giggle.

"Just spit it out. I refuse to be embarrassed," Will tells her, though his face is beet red.

"He had a crush on Pollux."

Nico wrinkles his nose. "Mr. D's kid? Isn't he like six years older than us?"

"Shut up," Will mumbles, but it doesn't have any bite to it.

Nico tries to hold back his grin. He's actually relieved to know he's not the only one of them to have had an impossible crush.

"So, anyway," Lou Ellen continues. "Pollux has an … um … affinity for women's underwear," she says, her own cheeks pinking up.

Nico raises his eyebrows.

"And shoes," Will says, staring at the back of the front seat, as if he can't watch Nico's reaction to hearing the story.

"Right," says Lou Ellen. "So anyway, Will was captivated by this older guy with violet eyes. He worked his 'son of Apollo' magic to get Pollux to open up to him, and then learned about his _secret_. But, through this budding friendship with Pollux, Katie was really taken with Will. All she talked about was how cute they would look together in the future, what names they'd give their kids, all the gardens they would plant, and how Will would become a world class surgeon."

Will squeezes his eyes shut as if he's wincing at the memory.

"And he couldn't figure out how to break it to her that he didn't see the same future, that he wanted her to try finding somebody else who did. He really liked how they worked together, and how easy she was to talk to about anything else. But he knew he was lying to her through omission."

"I was eleven. I wasn't ready to start thinking that far ahead. I didn't have the maturity to understand how to deal with somebody's feelings when they weren't matching mine."

Lou Ellen's gives Will a look Nico reads as: _boo hoo, poor you._

Will sighs. "I know it. I totally missed the boat. I'd do it all different if I could go back."

"He and Pollux weren't really 'into' each other," Lou Ellen starts again. "But they had fun sharing their, um … appreciation for the softer side of men, shall we say?"

"Jeez," Will says, releasing Nico's hand and hiding his face behind his palms. "I think cross dressing is hot, alright? I totally accept that it's not everybody's thing."

Nico's mouth goes dry. Images of Will – his long legs dressed in stockings and heels – flash before Nico's eyes. It's going to break his brain if he dwells on it. But Lou Ellen continues the story, and he doesn't think he's revealed just how turned on he is by the idea.

"Pollux and Castor got special privileges from Mr. D. They didn't have to follow a lot of the rules the other campers did, but they usually went along with the training schedule to keep everyone from thinking they were different, or favored. So one day Will and Pollux planned to … um … have a bit of a private fashion show," Lou Ellen's voice goes higher with the last sentence, holding back her giggles. "They did it while the other campers were at the campfire, in the boys' showers."

Nico thinks he might have steam coming out of his ears just thinking about what Will and the older boy might have looked like, wondering at their boldness to do something like that in a public place.

"And Katie was looking for Will, since they usually sat together. Anyway, she apparently heard Will's voice and poked her head in … and saw them, but Pollux had booby-trapped the door and she walked right into it."

Will groans again, sitting back in his seat, both hands covering his face.

"It was a madness barrier," Lou Ellen says. "She ran off to the woods on her own and they had to get dressed really fast to catch up with her. Will found her up a tree. Apparently she thought she was a monkey or something, and Pollux had to pull Mr. D away from the campfire to get her to come down. And then, he and Will had to explain the whole story to Pollux's dad."

Will's embarrassment seems to be infecting Nico, too. His face is hot, but it's a mixture of desire and mortification at what it would be like to be outed like that. It's not a comfortable feeling.

"So after she had rested in the infirmary, Mr. D made Will go and apologize to Katie. She was probably just as embarrassed as he was, but she has a tendency to get mean when she's upset."

_Just like her mom,_ Nico thinks, but doesn't say aloud. Demeter hates Hades's children even more than Persephone does.

"She demanded to know if Will was gay … loudly … in a room full of people."

Will puts his hands down, breathing out slowly, taking over the story. "I said I was sorry that she had to go through the monkey madness, and that I was gay, but didn't know how to tell her, and that I was scared she'd hate me." He pauses. "She said some really hurtful things, basically confirmed my fears. But Mr. D overheard everything and took pity on me enough to erase the memories of what she said from the others that heard. After the Battle of Manhattan, she apologized. Said she realized how hatred can make good people do bad things. But I doubt we'll ever be close friends again."

"So that's how Will messes things up without meaning to," Lou Ellen says after a pause. "He gets really focused on something to the point he's not seeing how the people around him might get hurt or think him rude, until it's too late. Then he mopes around for ages because he feels guilty."

Nico takes Will's hand again, lending him support. It's odd having the tables turned, where Will's the one leaning on him, and _he_ doesn't feel out of place.

Will finally looks at him, his brow wrinkled with worry, but at the same time, his eyes glow with strength.

__Like he said, he refuses to be embarrassed for being himself. I get that. I think it's hot, too.__

"So, is this where your love for rainbow colored underwear comes from?" Nico asks, eyebrow raised, trying to downplay the awkwardness.

"Uh ... yeah. I guess so."

A rush of relief moves through Nico's body, his tension fading. "You know, I was afraid of hearing this story because I thought I'd be jealous, thinking of you with somebody else. But I'd have paid a lot of money to see you in that shower room."

"Nico …" Will says, drawing his breath.

"I'm serious," Nico insists. "That's the hottest thing I think I've ever heard. I told you last night I have a thing for your legs."

"Umm, guys?" Lou Ellen says, shutting the visor. "You know I can hear you, right?"

Nico doesn't answer because Will's kissing him.

"I'll just put my headphones back on."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Summary: They arrive in Oregon and make a chilling discovery.

XxxX

Rain pelts the windshield faster than the wipers can sweep it away.

"Welcome to the Oregon Coast in October," Will mumbles, staring out his window. He's been quiet the past hour, and it catches Nico off-guard to hear him speak.

Jules-Albert jerks the steering wheel as they hit a puddle the size of a lake, the car veering to the side before he manages to right it again. In the rear-view mirror, his eyes shine with delight, and Nico can't help wonder if their zombie driver isn't enjoying the inclement weather a little too much. Up ahead, the red-and-blue-lighted sign for a Chevron gas station acts as a beacon reminding them there is a world outside the gloom and limited visibility of the car.

They pull into the station and Jules-Albert gets out. He's whistling. It gives Nico the heebie-jeebies.

Lou Ellen turns around, staring at them over the back of her seat. Nico looks from her to Will. Will's silence lingers in the air like stale smoke.

"What's up?" Lou Ellen asks. Nico's not sure if she's asking him or Will, so he defers and elbows Will in the ribs.

"Hmm?" Will says, seeming to only just realize he's been asked a question.

"Where are we?" Nico asks.

Will picks at his jeans, enlarging a hole in his knee. "We're here. This is it. A couple more miles down Beach Loop Drive and we'll be at my old house."

"That's a good thing, right? Or did you want to find a hotel instead and see about going back tomorrow?" Nico's not sure putting it off another night will do anything but make Will even more withdrawn, but he wants to be supportive.

_Amazing what difference a few months not spent alone makes._

Jules-Albert climbs back in the car, looking irritated, and drums his fingers on the steering wheel.

Nico looks at him and asks, "Qu'est-ce qui se passe?"

Jules-Albert rolls his eyes and frowns at Nico in the rearview mirror, mumbling, "Ils ne me laissent pas faire le plein moi-même!"

He glares out the window, lowering it enough for the attendant to hand him the receipt, and then rolling it back up as if he wants to take the guy's fingers off.

Nico chuckles.

"What was that about?" Lou Ellen asks as Jules-Albert starts the engine again.

"He's pissed because they won't let him fill the gas tank on his own."

"Yeah, no self-serve in Oregon," Will says absently.

They pull back onto the highway and Nico peers out the rain-flecked windows at the shadowy trees he's just able to make out. They're bent sideways with the force of the wind.

Jules-Albert pulls to a stop a couple of minutes later, though none of them move to get out. The house is nondescript. If they hadn't been looking for it, Nico might not have noticed it was there. It's boxy and covered in weathered grey tile panels, making it blend in with the storm. There's a smaller house to the left, though it looks much the same – perhaps a renovated detached garage. The shades are pulled down in all the windows Nico can see, and he wonders if it might be empty.

Will takes a deep breath and releases it. "Let's get it over with," he says and opens his door. Lou Ellen and Nico follow him, shouldering their backpacks.

Nico waves to Jules-Albert and is surprised to receive a salute in return. Jules-Albert idles the engine as they walk up the sodden path to the front porch, the cuffs of their pants getting wet and spattered with mud.

As they climb the stairs to the porch, finally sheltered from the rain, Lou Ellen looks back at the car. "What's he doing?".

"I dunno," Nico answers, bemused. "Waiting to make sure we make it inside?"

"I meant to ask earlier – do you know how he pays for gas?"

"Hades gave him a credit card to cover expenses for driving me around."

Lou Ellen giggles. "Sorry. I don't know why that's funny."

"It's nerves," Will says. He seems to be bracing himself. He opens the screen door and knocks, but it's not a normal knock. It's more like a pattern of short raps. He stands back and waits.

"What was that?" Lou Ellen asks, and Nico's glad she did; he wants to know, too.

"A secret signal," Will explains. "When mom was working, she'd leave me with the girls sometimes, and I wasn't supposed to answer the door unless it was the signal."

The sound of a lock being drawn back makes them take a collective breath. The door opens a crack and a young girl peeks out. She's probably around nine or ten, with sandy blond ringlets framing her face. Her blue eyes grow huge. She blinks several times as if she's expecting what she's seeing to change. "Will?" she whispers. "Is it really you?"

"Hey, Cassie," Will says, his voice strained with emotion. "Is Mom home?"

Cassie shakes her head, glancing suspiciously at Lou Ellen and Nico, and then at Jules-Albert.

"These are my friends," Will explains. "Can we come in?"

She startles as if only just realizing they aren't already inside. "Yes, hurry," she says, gesturing to speed them up.

Nico waves again at Jules-Albert, and the Buick takes off down the highway.

He follows Lou Ellen and Will into the house, and Cassie slams the door after him. She turns the lock on the doorknob, fastens the bolt, and then draws the chain.

"What's wrong?" Will asks. Nico can hear trepidation in his voice. "Where're Sam and Liz?"

Cassie takes a deep breath and throws her arms around Will. He hugs her back, eyes raised at Nico. Nico gets his message. There's something wrong with how Cassie is acting and Will doesn't have a clue what it is.

"They're upstairs hiding in our fort." She pulls back, looking up at him. "I'm so glad you're back. Mom never believes me when I tell her you're still alive."

"Cassie. Why are they hiding?" Will asks, holding onto her shoulders at arms length.

She blinks back the tears forming in her eyes, then whispers so Nico can barely hear: "there are monsters."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Summary: Nico and Lou Ellen meet Will's sisters.

XxxX

Lou Ellen follows Will and Cassie up the stairs, while Nico hangs back. The wall is covered in in photographs. He feels the loss Will must have experienced being snatched away from a happy home. It makes his own heart ache. Most of the pictures feature Will and his sisters growing up over the years. He stops to study one of Will blowing out candles on a birthday cake – nine of them – and traces the image, wondering what sort of face Will would have made if he knew it was his last birthday with his family.

Another picture is of Will building a sand castle on the beach with two of his sisters, while a dark-haired woman, probably Will's mom, nurses a baby in the background. Next to it hangs a photo montage of five different babies dressed in the same knitted outfit in similar poses. The first appears to be a couple of decades older than the others.

He jogs up the last few steps, nearly upsetting an overflowing basket of laundry when he realizes the others have gone on ahead. A blood pressure cuff and stethoscope hang from one of the doorknobs he passes, making his way down the hall. Will and Lou Ellen stand in the doorway of the room at the end.

Will looks over his shoulder as Nico approaches. He murmurs, "This is my old room."

Nico wonders why they're crowding the door until he hears a young voice: "Come on in!" and Lou Ellen drops to her knees and crawls into what can only be described as a massive blanket fort. It covers the entire room and Nico's not even sure how they managed to prop it up in the middle. Will drops to his knees and crawls in after her. Nico hears him reintroducing himself to his sisters.

Nico stays upright a while longer, glancing at the walls. Apparently Will's mom kept his bedroom as he had left it. There are a couple more photographs standing on a shelf of soccer trophies. One is of a younger Will in a green and gold uniform, and another of Will holding a trophy while his mom hugs him. She's wearing purple medical scrubs and Nico's heart clenches at how happy they are.

The rest of the walls are more random: a diagram of the muscles in the human body; a shelf of books and a wooden dinosaur fossil puzzle; and several pictures that look like they were cut from magazines of the same three boys. One still has a headline attached spelling out: **The Jonas Brothers**. Nico's never heard of them.

"Nico?" Will calls from under the blanket tent. Nico drops down, peering inside.

"Yeah, I'm here." He hopes Will is caught up enough with his sisters not to notice Nico's been studying his past.

"Nico, you've met Cassie," Will says. "This is Sam and Liz."

Nico gives them a small wave. Cassie and Sam are the twins, and look so alike he almost thinks he's seeing one girl and her reflection. Liz is the youngest of the three. She's small for her age, but the way she looks at him makes him feel her soul is far older. It's possible that it is.

Lou Ellen starts talking, and Nico exhales, relieved. He's too caught up in nostalgia to be able to talk. "What's this we heard about monsters?"

Cassie answers. "Out the window. Sometimes it's on the beach, sometimes in the front yard..."

"… or when we're walking to school," Sam interjects.

"Its huge yellow eye watches us," Cassie finishes, as if she's used to Sam adding to her sentences. "It hasn't done anything else, but it gets closer all the time, and now it happens every day."

Lou Ellen frowns. "A yellow eye? Is it attached to a face or a body at all?"

Sam and Cassie shake their heads. "Not that we can see, but sometimes we can hear it, too."

"It drags, like it's slow or injured."

"It's a giant snake," Liz puts in, looking at her sisters like they're nuts for not realizing.

"So you've seen the whole thing?" Lou Ellen asks.

"No. I just know that's what it is."

Will raises his eyebrow at Nico. Nico's not sure what he expects him to say, but looking at the four of them in proximity, he has a hunch. Even though it's true that some mortals are born with the ability to see through the Mist, the idea of it happening to four in the same household doesn't seem very likely.

"Can I talk to you for a sec, in private?" Nico asks Will.

"I'll stay with the girls," Lou Ellen offers. I want to check out the window too."

"Yeah, okay."

Nico crawls out first and Will follows him.

Standing in the narrow hall, Will's presence threatens to overwhelm him – the urge to kiss, to touch – but Nico reminds himself it's neither the time nor place.

"What is it?" Will asks. His eyelashes are wet. Nico imagines his would be too if their roles were reversed. He swallows and grabs Will's hand, leading him halfway down the staircase to the five photo montage.

"These pictures," Nico starts.

Will chuckles. It sounds like a mixture of embarrassment and happiness. "My grandmother knitted that outfit and took the first picture of my mom wearing it. After I was born, Mom did the same thing to me, and then the girls."

"Yeah," Nico says, swallowing hard. "But look how much you and your sisters resemble each other."

Will raises his eyebrows and looks. "So?"

"And none of you really look like your mom at the same age."

Will looks again, and it seems what Nico's trying to suggest dawns on him. "Are you saying … The girls can see through the mist … "

"When I talked to Apollo in my dream, he said he took you because he didn't want to accidentally hurt your mom, not because of her, but because of her daughters."

Will's face drains of color, then flushes red, his brows furrowing. "Of all the idiotic, short-sighted, selfish …" He pauses, taking a few breaths. "Sometimes I hate him." He climbs back up the stairs.

Nico follows, twisting his skull ring on his finger. He stops when he notices he's doing it. "You don't want them to be demigods."

Will leans with his back to the wall, his eyes closed. He seems to be trying and failing to calm himself. His eyes flash bright blue despite the dim lighting. "Demigods attract monsters. Our lives are cut short without training. People who don't know about us don't listen or believe us when we tell them about monsters. And in my mom's case, Apollo _knew_ Eros hardened her heart to him, yet he forced himself on her three times! It makes me sick, how the gods just take and use people."

Nico just stands there, feeling like an idiot, not knowing how to respond.

"Will! Nico!" Lou Ellen shouts, and Nico's blood runs cold. "A little help in here!"

Nico's sword is in his hand without a thought, and Will runs back down the hall, his quiver on his back, bow in hand. Nico follows him into the bedroom and many things happen at once. The blanket fort collapses, trapped air making bubbles under the fabric, while an array of sharp stones bounce off the window. The idea it might be a hail storm flashes across Nico's mind. Lou Ellen shuts the closet door with her foot, then dives under the pile of blankets while Will shouts to Nico: "It's a flock of Stymphalian Birds! Brace yourself."

Nico studies the window and realizes the pinging sounds are bronze bird beaks striking the glass, and what he had thought was the weather is actually the window cracking with each blow. He readies his sword as Will closes the bedroom door behind them, and Lou Ellen emerges from the blanket pile with a squealing pink piglet in her arms. The window shatters  
>in a shower of glass, and Will fires his arrows one after another, Lou Ellen just managing to duck into the closet with the piglet in her arms.<p>

A dozen birds swoop into the room under Will's arrows, while Will picks off the rest in explosions of monster dust. Nico's focus narrows, his hearing seeming to leave him as he slashes and stabs until only a few feathers are left. They flutter and crumble on top of the mountain of blankets, now black with the remnants of the flock.

Nico's hearing returns, amplifying the sound of Will's ragged breathing. Nico raises his hand to wipe the sweat from from his face. It comes away bloody. He plucks a feather out of his cheek, wincing.

"Well, that was …" he starts to say, but a pounding on the door downstairs, its chain rattling, sets him on edge again. Were the birds a diversion? How many monsters are lurking outside, hidden by the storm?

Will lifts a finger to his lips, and then dashes out of the room. He has three arrows left in his quiver and Nico figures that won't be enough to keep another attack at bay.

"Keep the girls safe, Lou Ellen. We'll be right back," he calls over his shoulder, racing to catch up with Will.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Summary: Nico faces some further truths that might just make or break his heart.

XxxX

Nico descends the staircase, blending in with the shadows. At the bottom, he peers into the kitchen, and sees Will hesitating at the door, his bow and quiver no longer visible.

"Girls, come on!" A woman calls, rattling the door against the chain. "I've told you a million times there's no such thing as monsters! Undo the chain! I've got dinner!"

Nico doesn't feel right intruding on this moment, but he stays put in case something goes wrong.

Will calls back, his voice breaking, "Hang on, Mom. I'll let you in." There's a sound of paper bags hitting the ground, and Will closes the door and unfastens the chain, then opens it again.

His mother stands in the doorway, blinking, her mouth hanging open. She's shaking when she speaks. "Will? Oh my god, I'm dreaming." She steps into the kitchen and into Will's space, looking up at him, stroking his face. "I'm dreaming, right? You can't be real?" And then she sobs against his shoulder and Will wraps his arms around her back.

Nico wonders if he should retreat, but he can't quite bring himself to stop watching. He's imagined what it would be like if he ever saw his own mother alive again, what their reunion would be like – this is it – though _his_ dreams could only ever be wishful thinking.

When Will's mom pulls back, her face is a blotchy red with tears streaming down her cheeks, but her eyes look so happy, she's pretty despite them. "What happened? How are you here? You're so tall, so grown up."

Will gently brushes her tears off her cheeks. "Mom, you know Dad took me away, right? He did it to keep you and the girls safe."

She wrinkles her forehead, shaking her head, like she can't believe what she's hearing. "I've told you before – the man has mental issues – that you should never answer the door to him. He's just no good."

Will remains still while she looks at him, as if searching for the truth in his eyes. "It's true?"

Will nods, and his mother's face flushes, her brows furrowed, a tick going off in her cheek. "You've been living with that lying asshole for all these years? Did he hold you captive? Did you just escape? Is that what happened?"

Even to Nico, it sounds like she's desperately cobbling a story together that she can cling to, like she's unable to fathom that what Apollo has told her could be true.

"My father is Apollo, Mom. He wasn't lying when he told you. The gods are real."

She holds Will's face in her hands again, her eyes softening, like she's talking to small child or an elderly person with dementia. "He's really done a number on you. My poor baby. But you're safe. You're not dead." She lowers her hands and takes an unsteady step backwards. "Oh, I think I need to sit down."

Will holds onto her waist and arm, and leads her past where Nico stands – still part-shadow – to the couch in the living room. Nico finally retreats up the stairs, figuring they need time to talk in private, and he wants to make sure Lou Ellen has restored Will's sisters.

When he enters the bedroom, Cassie and Sam rush past him from behind, bumping him further into the room while Lou Ellen cradles the youngest, Liz, in her lap, her hand on Liz's forehead.

Nico realizes he's still mostly shadow and has to focus to reform fully. One of the twins hands Lou Ellen a damp washcloth and the other uses another to wipe blood from her sister's face and arm. Lou Ellen presses the cloth to a gash above Liz's right eyebrow, and Liz rolls her eyes at their fussing. She's the first to notice Nico.

"Nico!" she says.

Lou Ellen looks up. "Oh, thank goodness! Everything okay downstairs? She got hit with a feather." She frowns, looking up at Nico. "And it looks like you did too."

"I'll get another washcloth!" one of the twins says, and races out the door.

"Let's get her down to Will." Nico's face twinges, as he remembers his wound. "I'll shadow-travel her downstairs."

Lou Ellen's eyes darken at the suggestion. "Are you sure you're …"

"I'm fine," Nico insists. He takes the washcloth from the twin who has just returned. "Which one are you?" They're dressed similarly, in jeans and baggy sweaters.

"I'm Sam. I usually wear green and Cassie wears blue when we have guests, so they can tell us apart. We'll change."

"Sure," Nico says. He's not used to people talking to him so easily after first meeting, but he supposes renting out their guest house every summer has made small talk second nature to Will's sisters.

He lifts Liz into his arms. She smiles at him, holding the washcloth to her forehead. She presses Nico's washcloth to his cheek with her other hand. "You're pretty cute."

Nico would normally lash out at being called 'cute', but as she's seven years old, he chooses to say nothing. He dissolves them into shadow and reappears at the foot of the stairs.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Liz exclaims.

Will's mom stares at them, her mouth opening and closing. Will turns to see what's happening.

"We took a couple feathers to the face," Nico explains, carrying Liz over and handing her to Will. He takes his washcloth from Liz and wipes his cheek; his wound has stopped bleeding.

"Mom," Will says. "If you can't believe I'm telling you the truth, then how can you explain this? I _am_ the son of Apollo and I have his gift of healing."

He digs through his doctor's bag, which seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and pulls out a gauze pad. He leans Liz back with his left arm so she can see her mother upside down, and removes the washcloth. The wound fills with blood. Will presses the gauze on top of it and begins chanting a low hymn to Apollo in ancient Greek. The wound glows bright under the gauze, and then he removes it.

Only a pink scar remains, about an inch long, and Liz searches her forehead with her fingers, smiling up at her brother. "Wow, that was really cool! Did you see that, Mom?"

Will's mom reaches out, running her own fingers over the scar, her lips trembling, and eyelashes wet.

"I can heal the scar too, if …" Will takes a deep breath and looks his mother in the eye. "If her father is my father. Is he, Mom?"

Will's mom draws her hand back from Liz's forehead and brings it up to her mouth. She nods, tears falling freely again. "He was like a bad habit I couldn't quit."

Will doesn't say anything, though Nico can tell by his stiff posture he's not happy at having their suspicions confirmed. He pulls a small square of ambrosia out of his bag and gives it to Liz, helping her to sit. He stands as she eats it, and walks over to Nico, handing him another piece of the ambrosia. Nico closes his eyes as Will heals his cheek with another hymn, and then opens them, Lou Ellen and the twins thundering down the stairs behind them. He pops the square into his mouth and chews it, not quite able to look away from the fear and perhaps anger he reads in Will's eyes. They need to get away to talk privately, sooner than later, Nico supposes.

Will's mom gasps, and they turn to look as she runs her hand back and forth over Liz's restored skin. Nico's not sure, but he can almost imagine an invisible barrier lifting from Will's mom's face like a veil. She blinks, and then spots Lou Ellen and Nico, finally noticing them.

"Are you going to introduce me to your friends?" she asks, wiping her face with the backs of her hands, and collecting herself. "I'm Will's mom, but you can call me Daphne."

Will clears his throat. He sounds strained, as if he'd like nothing more than to cry or scream, or even just not talk. "Yeah, um –" He gestures as Lou Ellen and the girls crowd into the room. "This is my friend, Lou Ellen, daughter of Hecate."

"Hi!" Lou Ellen says with a small wave. Liz bounces off the couch to join her while the twins take her place beside their mother.

"And this is my – this is Nico, son of Hades," Will continues, catching himself.

"I'm his boyfriend," Nico says without thinking. He's more concerned at how Will seems to be having trouble holding himself together. He only realizes what he's said when Will gives him a brilliant smile, his face relaxing, seemingly bolstered.

"Oh, that's surprising," Daphne says, though Nico doesn't get the sense she's judging them. She stands and walks around the couch to shake Nico's hand. "Forgive me. It's a bit of a shock to have Will show up again after so long, and he's not the little boy he was. I hope you will stay and get to know us."

Nico's eyebrow twitches as she releases his hand and turns back to Will, hugging him. He retreats to shut the kitchen door, reminded of the monster attack as gust of cold air hits his legs. He picks up the fallen McDonald's bags, and carries them to the kitchen table. Fortunately, it's stopped raining and the bags don't seem to have been ruined by their time on the porch.

Daphne leads Will and the girls into the kitchen, insisting they have something to eat.

"I always buy more than we need, and then take the leftovers for lunches at work, so there's plenty to go around."

Nico and Lou Ellen remain standing, though Will pats the empty chair beside him, inviting Nico to sit.

"I'm just gonna do a quick walk around the property," Lou Ellen explains, and Nico's heart leaps at the prospect of joining her, getting away from the awkwardness he's feeling. "Build up the Mist a little. Hopefully any monsters will think the house is a bigger monster and steer clear of it. And I want to shore up the broken window."

Liz drops her burger before Nico has a chance to say he's coming too. "I want to come, too!"

"The Mist?" Daphne asks, her forehead wrinkled again. "I'm sorry. I'm still not sure I understand."

"I'll go with them," Nico tells Will. Just in case."

Will nods, then turns back to answer his mom's questions. Lou Ellen and Liz are already out the door when Nico reaches it. He steps onto the porch, overhearing Daphne ask: "Your father is really _the_ Apollo? How is that even possible?"

Nico's glad he's not the one who has to answer her. 

XxxX

Nico steps out into the blustery evening. He makes it down the porch stairs, looking around for Lou Ellen and Liz, and sees them turning the corner around the guest house. He starts to follow them, when a low rumbling makes him pause, his hand on his sword hilt.

About ten feet in front of him a man-sized shape shimmers into existence, and a familiar face comes into focus. The rumbling is his laughter. He's tall and barefoot. His shoulder length black hair is visible in the darkness as he seems to emit his own light. He's dressed in black jeans and a white shirt, open at the front, exposing his hairless tanned chest.

"Eros," Nico says through gritted teeth, and the god laughs again, rumbling to the point Nico can feel it in his bones. But there's something different about him. His eyes are bright purple, glowing in the dark like holiday lights. Nico recalls Eros's eyes were red. "What happened to your eyes?"

The god glows brighter, and Nico can make out the wings protruding from his back. Eros's wings were bright white and feathered when Nico had seen them, but this god's are different. They're a myriad of colors, spreading out from a heart shape at the center of each. They remind Nico of butterfly wings.

"Eros is my brother," the god tells him. "Aphrodite bore me for the express purpose he would never be alone. My name is Anteros."

"Anteros?" Nico says, the name feeling foreign on his tongue. "Like opposite of eros?" He doesn't recall there being a god of hate.

Anteros tilts his head, disorienting Nico as his glowing eyes and bright presence distort the dark shapes around him. "No. More like complementary. I am the god of requited love. I cannot appear to those who have yet to find me."

Nico's face burns in the darkness, but he doesn't dare deny it in front of a god related to Eros, not after the last painful arrow. "Why are you here?" he asks instead.

"To help," Anteros says simply. "Your lover faces an impossible task. He will die if he goes up against Python without first understanding."

Nico gives Anteros his full attention.

"He has the right idea to render Python's toxins inert, but the only way to triumph over the beast is to harness the power of the sun itself – its light."

"Like the arrows of Apollo," Nico says, feeling the hopelessness of the situation. The only beings he knows who have harnessed the power of the sun are Apollo himself, and the titans Hyperion and his son, Helios. "But the only …"

"Think back, Nico," Anteros interrupts. "Under pressure is when latent gifts rise in demigods. Could you always hold sway over other people's dreams? Could you always manage to shadow-travel across the Atlantic? Your friend, Percy Jackson, could he always command the liquid in poisons and turn them against their creator?"

Nico shudders, recalling Jason telling him of Percy's confession, of his fear of turning dark and his attraction to the power that only Annabeth's presence kept him from fully realizing. "So, Will has to …"

Anteros chuckles again, making the ground tremor under Nico's feet. "It's something he will have to discover inside himself. He cannot develop it of his own will, only out of the greatest necessity."

"So why are you telling me?" Nico asks, not bothering to hide his frustration.

Anteros draws closer, his wings beating a warm, sweet-smelling breeze against Nico's face, a balm in the cold windy night. "He'll never access the power Apollo has planted inside him, so long as he holds hatred for Apollo in his heart. You need to help him release it."

There's a long pause. They stand in silence, only the sounds of Anteros's gently wafting wings breaking it.

"You're safe in this place for now. At least until the eclipse is upon us and renders the Mist useless." Anteros says at last. "Castalia leapt to her death under Apollo's pursuit, though even she now admits he is not so hard as some make him out to be. He's been tormented by my brother for eons, endlessly searching for me, and never succeeding. Apollo granted Castalia immortality as a nereid before she hit the surface of the water. In turn, she offers her protection to his children, and has made Face Rock her home for the present time. One day he may yet meet me."

Nico's mind whirls, trying to recall what he's read of Apollo's past. He gives up. "How did the Stymphalian birds find us if we are protected?"

"Ah," Anteros says, nodding. "I would advise you avoid having more than three demigods in one room at a time. The more collected power you emit, the more difficult it is to conceal you."

Nico is beyond grateful. "Thank you," he says. It's refreshing to come away from a visit with a god without feeling torn up inside.

Anteros cocks his head again, giving Nico the sensation he's being x-rayed, laid bare before the god, but unlike the way he'd felt in Eros's presence, it's not intrusive or antagonistic. "I never thought I would speak face to face with a child of Hades. May your love continue to grow."

Anteros disappears in a flash, like turning the flame off in an oil lamp, the sound of his flapping wings lingering in Nico's ears. Nico's left feeling like he's too big for his skin, perhaps overflowing, but with positive energy rather than darkness. He takes several long breaths, trying to dampen the sensation. It's not his style to wear his heart on his sleeve.

He looks back at the house and spots Will through the kitchen window. He's laughing with his mother, and the knowledge of why Nico could see Anteros hits him hard. _This is real._ His legs feel weak.

"There you are!" Lou Ellen calls from behind him and Nico straightens up, reining in his exploding thoughts.

Liz bounces along behind Lou Ellen, smiling huge. "This Mist stuff is _amazing_!"

Lou Ellen grins at her enthusiasm and looks at Nico. "There's already some sort of protection over this place. It doesn't feel malevolent."

"Yeah," Nico says absently. "It's not. I – I mean, good."

Lou Ellen lifts her eyebrow and turns her head, looking at him funny. "Let's head back inside."

Nico's heart races in alarm. "Wait. We shouldn't have more than three demigods in a room at the same time. Just to be on the safe side."

Lou Ellen blinks at him, realization seeming to dawn on her. "That's probably why that flock was attracted to us. Thanks for the heads up. I feel stupid for not thinking of that myself."

They look at the house again. Will is alone with Daphne.

"Cassie and Sam are probably up in our room," Liz says.

"Right," Lou Ellen answers her. "How about you and I grab something to eat and hang out in the living room, and then Nico and Will can talk to your mom?"

The idea is fine with Nico. He waits until Liz signals it's safe to come in by waving madly at him through the living room window. He takes a deep breath and opens the door.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Summary: Following Anteros's advice, Nico appeals to Will on Apollo's behalf.

XxxX

The rest of the evening passes without any more monster attacks. Lou Ellen takes turns between the twins and Liz, entertaining them with tricks of the Mist, while Will catches up with his mom. Nico is far from comfortable sitting beside Will at the kitchen table, but Daphne seems to read his discomfort and doesn't put him on the spot. While Will talks, Nico notices how often Will reaches out for him: brushing their feet under the table, squeezing his hand, a touch to his knee or the back of his neck. It drives home for Nico that this is how Will claims the ones he loves. The touches seem to increase when the conversation centers on Apollo. It's overwhelming, and at the same time reassuring. Nico reads the growing conflict inside Will in regards to his father.

When Will presses Daphne about Apollo, she insists he'd never forced himself on her, that she seemed to forget their previous arguments and fall for him all over again, until he'd try to explain again who he was. Then, she'd only hear the ravings of a lunatic, or see anything he did to prove he spoke the truth as a trick of the light, or a number of other more logical explanations.

Nico joins Lou Ellen when she says she's ready to go to the guest house for the night. He takes a quick shower. When he gets out, he puts on a clean pair of black boxers and snags one of Will's clean t-shirts.

"Hey," Will says, standing in the doorway. "You can toss your dirty clothes in the washing machine in the hall. I'm gonna have a quick shower and then I'll run it."

Nico nods while Will retreats to the bathroom, his posture slumped more than usual. He pulls his dirty laundry from his backpack and throws it and the clothes he'd been wearing into the machine, then takes a seat at the small wooden table at the window overlooking the beach.

A circle of light from the spotlight mounted on the back of the house throws part of the beach into relief, but the rest is entirely dark. He can hear the never-ending pulse of the ocean, though he can't see it. It's hypnotic and soothing. Nico relaxes in his chair, drawing his feet up and resting his chin on his knees.

Will joins him after starting the washing machine and closing the door to their room. "Lou Ellen is out cold," he tells Nico. "I think my sisters wore her out."

Nico watches as Will tries to get comfortable in his chair, setting his own feet back on the floor and his hand on the table. Will settles his on top of it. Anteros's warnings echo through Nico's brain. After tonight, there are only three days until the eclipse. He has three days to figure out how to get Will to let go of his resentment of Apollo.

Will's eyes are fixed on the tabletop, as if he's not really seeing their hands, but is lost in thought.

"Wanna talk about him?" Nico asks, surprising himself. It reminds him of when he'd pushed Reyna to talk about her father.

__Point is … I don't like talking about my dad, either. But sometimes, you have to.__

Will frowns, his shoulders slumping further. "Not really."

"I do."

Will finally looks at him, an eyebrow raised, mouth turned down at the corners. "Really? Why?"

He's not sure where the words are coming from, perhaps deep inside himself, but Nico lets them come. "For an Olympian god, he's one of the best."

Will half-scoffs. "Yeah, that's not really saying much."

"He reminds me of myself sometimes," Nico says, turning his hand so it clasps Will's.

"How do you figure that?" Will asks.

Nico looks straight into Will's eyes as he answers, pushing his buttons, testing the depth of his resentment of Apollo. "Other gods have been messing up Apollo's life since the beginning, blaming him for who he is, trying to make him different by shaming him. Only he's had to deal with it for eons."

Will wrinkles his forehead. "You're going to have to explain to me how this … Are you okay?"

Nico draws his hand back from Will's and tucks his feet up in his chair again, once more hugging his knees. Despite not knowing where the words are coming from, the emotions behind them – the horrible feelings of rejection and the stigma of not fitting in – hit him hard. "Yeah," he says, unable to keep the tremor out of his voice, but unwilling to stop now that he's ready to talk. "I'm good now. But for a long time, I really wasn't. Look. Apollo's sworn off marriage, right?"

Will shifts uneasily in his chair, and Nico can't help but think he's probably going into doctor mode and wondering if Nico has a loose screw. "Yeah?"

"So he's not making an oath he can't keep, unlike some of the other gods. He knows it's not in his nature to settle down and make a vow he can't help but break. The ones who marry and mess around on the side, they cause all sorts of rifts between each other and the mortals they get involved with. But they never own up to it, instead, finding ways to blame anybody else to excuse their shortsightedness."

"I'm going out on a limb and guessing you're mostly talking about …" He pauses, then lowers `his voice. "The guy at the top."

Nico can't quite stifle a small snort of laughter. "Yeah, but it really isn't _only_ him. He is the worst, though." Nico gets why Will wants to avoid invoking Zeus's name, but it just proves what he's trying to say, that Zeus's temper is so out of whack it makes Apollo stand even farther apart as a voice of reason.

Will shifts again, crossing his ankle over the opposite knee. "So this is like you because you … don't want to settle for one person? You think you need to be free to screw around?"

Nico shoots him a dark look from under his bangs. "Gods, no. I'm trying, and apparently failing, to explain that Apollo is smart. He knows his nature as a god, that he would fail if he tried to go against it. He lives his own way, and I think the other gods are jealous of him because of it. They'd never admit it, but the way …" He stops again, afraid Will's not following. He puts his feet back down and scoots closer to the table. "Take Eros, for example. That guy is a real bully and totally not cool. I've met him …"

"Really?"

Nico sighs, losing his train of thought, but it feels good to be able to just talk to Will and to know he's listening. "Yeah … He shot me in the arm with one of his arrows, forced me to face myself, er … to admit I was gay … in front of Jason. Otherwise we wouldn't have gotten Diocletian's scepter and could have lost the war. I'm not mad that I faced it, but, being forced into it, not allowed to do it on my own – that pissed me off." He stops for a breath, remembering where he was going with the story. "This is the guy who's been bullying Apollo for eons. Can you think of a single relationship Apollo's had where he fell in love of his own volition, and was loved in return?"

Will pauses, his forehead still creased as if he's still not getting what Nico's saying, but he's trying to follow along. "Umm … Hyacinthus?"

"That one, Eros messed up by driving Zephyros to love him too. Even if Hyacinthus returned Apollo's love, he couldn't hold onto it because Hyacinthus died. Zephyros took the blame for that and became Eros's slave. But look what Apollo did for his lovers. He created the Hyacinth so people would never forget Hyacinthus. Daphne, another love doomed because of Eros, when she changed into a laurel, he dedicated it as sacred to him. Castalia, the prophetess who leapt to her death to escape him, Apollo caught her before she died and transformed her into an immortal nereid. He marked his ruined loves so they'd never be forgotten, so they'd be celebrated."

The creases in Will's forehead smooth out, but he works his mouth, as if not quite convinced. "What about Asclepius's mother? He wasn't very kind in her case."

Nico shrugs, settling his forearms on the table, hands clasped. "I can't claim to know the whole story, but Apollo doesn't seem to take pleasure in losing his loved ones. Maybe ask him his side of the story sometime? I do know that it was Artemis that killed her, but remember, he sent Hermes to save the baby, and their son became the god of healers, so her legacy did live on."

Will is silent for several long moments. Nico's almost ready to concede defeat for the night and try to pick it up again tomorrow, when he finally responds.

"Okay. I do admit he's not so bad. He's a pretty good dad too. I mean, all of us in Apollo cabin have personal relationships with him. Most demigods don't see their godly parent very often. But I'm still trying to figure out how you relate to him."

"I was born in the 30s, in the middle of an oppressed country at war. People like me were shunned, thrown in prison, murdered, and nobody thought twice about it. Homosexuality wasn't discussed, just swept under the rug, and even though I was only a child at the time, I knew … I felt the stigma. I knew enough not to say anything. Then, at the Lotus casino, time flew by. When Bianca and I got out, I thought things would be better, that I'd be able to grow out of it, I guess. It … didn't work out like that. I met this guy and I knew I was doomed. It was an impossible crush. I thought I was defective. I did some studying while I was on my own. I read Plato's Symposium, about Zeus splitting mankind into male and female, so they were always searching for their missing half, but that just made me feel more wrong."

Will opens his mouth to say something, but Nico rushes on.

"Your dad told me how it really happened, how the story had been simplified and misinterpreted. He said the gods themselves misunderstand fundamental truths because they repress themselves, and all the blaming is done to cover up their own mistakes. Apollo told me I was whole all on my own, that there isn't any searching for missing halves, because mortals weren't supposed to be connected to begin with. He talked to me like I was one of his own kids, like a dad. Hades isn't the worst father either, but he never had the right words I needed to hear, you know? He told me I wasn't a mistake."

He blinks the wetness from his eyelashes, but isn't ashamed of his tears this time. They're good tears.

"My father said that to you?" Will covers Nico's hands with his own. "Gods of Olympus, Nico. I had no idea you felt … shit. But you feel better now … because of my father … are you trying to make me jealous?" He's smirking.

Nico cracks a smile, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sleeping with your father, am I?"

"Well, no. But you did try to make a move on him …"

"Only because I thought he was you, and you had me all riled up in that dream."

"C'mere," Will says, and holds his arms out, pushing his chair back from the table with his legs.

Nico gets up, and goes to him. Will grabs his hips and pulls him forward until he's straddling Will's lap, Will's arms circling his back.

"I wasn't lying when I told you that you're the bravest hero I've ever met. I've had my eye on you for years."

Nico stares into Will's eyes, pressing foreheads, listening. He thinks he knows what Will's going to say, having overheard his conversation with Reyna, but he doesn't interrupt. He wants to hear Will say it to him.

"Four years ago, you turned up at Camp Half-Blood. I don't think you even noticed me, but I peeked into Chiron's office while you were watching the camp orientation film. I wanted to be your friend, but I was too shy to say hi."

Nico pulls back a bit, staring down at Will's bright eyes, his smiling lips. He hadn't been expecting to hear that. "What? When we were like, ten?"

Will nods, then runs his hands over Nico's ass and over his hips.

"So before your crazy underwear thing with Pollux?"

Will's face flushes. "Yeah, um … that was more of a distraction. I'd get my hopes up each time you'd stop by Camp, but then I'd lose my nerve, or you'd have left already. I never really liked Pollux, not like this … it was more of a 'common interest' sort of thing."

"One of these days, I'm going to want to see you like that," Nicos says. He runs his hands down Will's biceps, then teases his nipples through his shirt.

"How would you want me dressed?" Will asks, his grin crooked.

Nico pinches Will's nipple harder, then smooths over it with a more gentle touch. "I think satin. Tiny satin panties that show every inch of your cock."

Will trembles under Nico's thighs.

"And nylon stockings that go up to your thighs?" Nico suggests. "Maybe heels, so I can see how long your legs look in them, your calves all muscular under the sheer fabric, red or black … and … I like the rest of you exactly as you are. Manly and built, but I wouldn't say no to a little bit of eyeliner."

Will groans, and Nico chases a trickle of sweat with his tongue as it slides from Will's temple.

Will grips him harder, pulling him closer. "I want you so bad, Nico," he groans against the side of Nico's face. "Do you know how hard it makes me, hearing you talk like that?"

Nico slips his hand down to Will's jeans. He presses their mouths together, moving his kisses over Will's face and cheekbones, then under his earlobe. "Will, take me to bed."


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Summary: Nico and Will connect on a couple different levels.

NOTE: This chapter has been drastically shortened for censoring purposes. I hope you'll enjoy it all the same.

XxxX

Nico bucks his hips against Will's stomach, gripping his biceps, burning to get closer, to take him in. When Will grips his hips hard, his arms and legs tensing, shifting as he stands up, carrying Nico – he shudders, holding onto Will's backside with his legs. "That's what I'm talking about," he huffs against the side of Will's face. "Strong thighs."

Will holds him tighter, burying his face into the crook of Nico's neck, sending a jolt of longing up his spine, bucking up against Nico's ass. "One day, I'd like to take you like this."

Nico thinks he might pass out under the heat that image incites in him. He doesn't even care about how much smaller he is than Will – the fact his size could enable such a position makes up for the unfairness of Will's height advantage. "Tonight, I want you to take me, Will …" he whispers, inhaling the scent of Will's freshly washed hair. "I'm ready."

"Gods, yes." Will sets Nico down in the center of the bed, and then climbs on top of him, all tangled limbs and shifting hips. Will pulls Nico's shirt up, breaking their kiss long enough for him to slip his head free. He pushes Will back, his hand exploring Will's chest as Will pulls his own shirt off, then rocks their groins together.

Nico drops his hands to Will's jeans, working the buttons open, helping – as Will lifts his hips – to pull them down along with his underwear (purple this time). He grabs Will's hips, devouring the sight before him.

XxxX

They're slow to come back down, and after a few minutes. Nico stares into Will's eyes, taking in his dopey smile. "Wanna tell you something," he says, then swallows, his throat suddenly dry.

Will cocks his head, waiting.

It's now or never, Nico thinks, but he'll be damned if he chooses never. He's throwing in all his lots on Will, and the punk had better get how much that is worth coming from Nico. "I love you."

The way Will lights up at his words, almost glowing with his smile, chases away Nico's doubts more effectively than even Anteros's visit. "Gods, Nico," Will says. He leans forward, kissing the side of Nico's mouth. "I love you, too."

Their night ends with another shower, an impromptu load of laundry, and a fresh set of sheets.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter Summary: A dream visit starts the ball rolling!

XxxX

The sound of a voice clearing.

Nico blinks his eyes in the dark. He's in the bed of Will's dreams, comfortable, warm, and – moving his leg – not alone. He smiles against his pillow, Will's blond hair and sleeping face coming into focus. But if Will's asleep, who cleared their throat?

He sits bolt upright, heart leaping in his throat.

A man stands before the window, looking out at the beach. The spotlight on the sand has gone out. He's dressed in a dark suit covered with a white lab coat. When he turns to meet Nico's eyes, he appears to be in his forties or fifties. His salt and pepper hair is short and his well-trimmed beard, streaked with white. Though the room is shrouded in darkness, Nico can make out his kindly eyes, framed with laugh lines. He's holding a tall staff.

"Who are you?" Nico demands, then, realizing his voice sounds harsh and defensive, he softens it. If this guy is a god, it's smarter to find out what he wants before picking a fight. "I mean, my lord?"

The man chuckles, his voice deep and warm. "My dear, boy. I am Asclepius. I came to see your–" he gestures toward Will, "bed partner."

Nico feels his face heat up. Thankfully he and Will are covered with sheets and blankets, but they are very naked under them.

"And a sitz bath might help with the tenderness," Asclepius adds as Nico shakes Will awake.

"Huh, what, sitz bath?"

"You have a visitor," Nico says, still not quite sure what a sitz bath even is.

"Asclepius," Will says. "What're you doing here? I thought you could only visit in dreams."

Asclepius switches his staff to his other hand and Nico notices the Python curled around it for the first time as it lifts its head.

"That is true. This is a dream."

Nico knits his eyebrows. "But we just woke up. You mean we're sharing a dream of ourselves sleeping?"

"The sleep of rejuvenation. One in which you put even your dreams to rest. Hypnos must be looking out for you, preparing you for what is coming."

"What _is_ coming?" Will asks. "Why are you here?"

"I came to tell you that you must face Python sooner than you had planned. I'm afraid the Oracle is dying. Apollo is so consumed with grief, his cancer is spreading faster than I've ever seen. I have never yet seen an Olympian god die, but as a surgeon, I assure you, it's happening."

"But, the song, the prophecy," Nico interrupts. "It refers to the eclipse. If we try to go against it—"

"By the eclipse Apollo and his Oracle _will_ be joined again, but in death." Asclepius strokes his beard as if in thought. "Zeus is beside himself. It's why I'm here. I'm going into hiding, along with Hermes. Zeus will not admit that it was his bitterness that spawned Python originally, nor that punishing Apollo was counterproductive to his continued reign. He has always harbored the same fear as his father and grandfather, that one day one of his own sons will unseat him. But Apollo has never had an interest in ruling. He is the spirit of inspiration, and if he dies the world will stagnate and spawn more creatures like Python."

"I don't understand," Will says. "Why are you and Hermes going into hiding, then? Shouldn't the god of healers and the god of communications be working to find another answer? I mean, if I fail."

Asclepius fixes his eyes on Will, looking ages older all at once. "With nobody else to blame, Zeus has turned his attention on Hermes, and Hermes has just informed _me_ that he intercepted news that Zeus has learned of Leo Valdez's soul slipping out of Thanatos's hands. He knows I gave Leo the physician's cure. I have only a few minutes left.

"Will Solace, son of Apollo. You have the right idea for rendering Python's toxicity inert. I am sorry I couldn't help our father when he first asked it of me. I am glad I could assist you to do it in my stead. Demigods, not gods, are the ones who will further existence. The past must make way for the future. Remember, when you face the bane of Apollo, the only way to save the Oracle is using Apollo's greatest traits: truth, love, and compassion. Though, I do not know if they will be enough to turn the tide of Zeus's wrath. Farewell, brother."

The dream dissolves with him.

XxxX

Nico finds himself blinking awake all over again, disoriented and heavy-limbed. Will is already up when his vision clears. He's dressed and sitting on the side of bed, a pile of arrowheads next to him on the quilt.

Nico sits up and winces, his body reminding him of the amazing night they'd shared. "What's happening?" he asks, the vestiges of the dream he'd had slipping away even as he tries to catch them. "What in Hades's name is a sitz bath?"

Will turns and looks at him. He looks older somehow, more careworn, though he smiles at Nico's question.

"Do you recall Asclepius visiting us last night?"

Nico rubs his head, only now noticing the sky outside is beginning to lighten. It's still grey, but there are streaks of indigo peeking through the clouds. The image of the man in a white coat, switching a tall staff from one hand to the other rises in Nico's mind's eye, but it's all he can recall. "Not really."

Will scoops up the pile of arrowheads and throws them in the garbage can beside the bed. He stands, extending an arm to Nico. "C'mon. If Asclepius recommends a sitz bath, I'm gonna make sure you have one. Doctor's orders." He winks at Nico and distracts him with a quick kiss.

Nico raises an eyebrow, but doesn't get the sense Will is making fun of him. He takes his hand and scoots off the bed. "All right," he says, grumbling. "Whatever."


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter Summary: Nico, Lou Ellen, and Will get ready to face Python.

XxxX

Asclepius is almost as annoying as Will, Nico decides. He can't even recall what the dude came to say, but having the fact his ass had been plundered pointed out …

__Can I just die now?__

He's sitting in the bathtub in a few inches of warm water. Will added some herbs to it, and while the experience with Asclepius was mortifying, he has to admit he's feeling less sore and the bath smells nice. He looks at the clock on the wall. It's seven-thirty. He has ten minutes left to soak. He lies back, rests his neck on the edge of the tub, and stares at the door. Will seems different this morning, distant. Nico thinks he should be happy to finally have a bit of privacy and time alone to think, but he's starting to admit to himself that having a clingy, annoying, hot-as-fuck son of Apollo wanting him is not a real hardship.

__What's happening to me? Why doesn't this bother me?__

It's got to be the 'love' thing. He smiles to himself, studying the brushstrokes in the white paint on the ceiling.

"Um, Nico? Is this a bad time?"

Nico sits up, covering his lap, his heart beating in his ears as he spots the source of this new voice.

Jason Grace stares back at him from the base of the sink, shimmering in a rainbow window. Nico recognizes the wood panels behind him as belonging to one of the new temples Tyson had built back at Camp Jupiter. Thankfully, the Iris message is low enough Nico doesn't think Jason caught sight of his body.

"Dude, what do you want? I'm in the bath."

"Sorry, man. I just made it back to Camp Jupiter last night. I'm dedicating temples to Favonius, Mors and Somnus today.

Nico furrows his brows, translating the Latin names to Greek. _Zephyros, Thanatos and Hypnos. The gods of the West Wind, and the twin sons of Nyx, death and sleep._ He doesn't ask about them. It doesn't seem important.

Jason clears his throat. "I just wanted to check in on you, and Reyna – she's not doing very well."

"Hey, Nico. How's your – Grace?"

Nico and Jason turn to look as Will shuts the bathroom door behind him.

Jason looks a little flustered at the fact Will interrupted Nico's bath without knocking and Nico didn't tear _his_ head off. "Hey, Solace."

Will kneels beside the tub, his arm resting so it brushes Nico's hand.

"Get back to the point. What's the matter with Reyna?" Nico demands. He can't help it. The idea that Reyna's in trouble freaks him out.

"It's just –" Jason sighs. "I've never seen her lose it like this before. She's barely holding it together, not eating right, forgetting what she's saying mid-sentence. Frank says she lost her focus in the last Senate Meeting and he had to cover for her. You know of course, about Rachel?"

"What about Rachel?" Will interrupts. There's a tremor in his voice. "She's still alive, right?"

Jason nods, though his lips are turned down and his eyes are set as if he's coming to terms with an unpleasant truth. "Yeah, but not for long. It's just, Reyna's the daughter of Bellona. She's a Roman Praetor; she's seen death before and dealt with it … a lot. But, this one … I dunno. It's tearing her up."

"You can tell Reyna we're working on it. We're going to face Python today," Will says, his voice steely.

"What?" Nico asks. "Today? But the eclipse –"

"It's what last night's dream was about, Nico. Grace, I'm sorry, but considering who your father is –"

Jason holds up his hands, understanding. "Yeah, better not name him."

"There's something else I want to ask you, a favor," Will continues.

Jason lifts his eyebrows. "Sure. What is it?"

Will squeezes Nico's hand as if he's drawing comfort. "My sisters. It turns out they're my full siblings. I don't know if any of the gods know about them yet, but ... the youngest is seven, the older two are nine. They'll need a protector to watch out for them, get them to Camp Half-Blood if – if it's time – the monsters, you know?"

Jason nods. "Yeah. Coach Hedge is here now. He came with me to set up a boot camp for the fauns. I'll pass it on to him and he'll make sure we get somebody out there."

Nico's mouth twitches despite the heavy conversation. "A faun boot camp? I'd love to see Hedge doing that."

Jason grins too. "You will! I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."

Another question rises in Nico's mind, one he'd like to ask without Will in the room. "Will, can you give us a sec?"

"Sure thing," Will says, winking at Nico. He stands up. "But you'd better get out soon or I'll have to treat your pruny toes." He leaves the room.

Nico feels himself flush. "Oh gods. Ignore him."

Jason purses his lips as if he's trying to hold back his laughter.

Nico collects his thoughts. "Percy," he says. "He's okay?"

Jason relaxes his face. "Oh yeah. He's just fine. I stopped by his mom's place a few days ago. He and Annabeth are staying there. He's already itching for another quest, really anything to get out of school." Jason smirks. "But unfortunately for him, Paul, Sally and Annabeth have ganged up on him and he's dealing."

"I'd trade places with him in a second if I could," Nico says, staring at the black and white floor tiles. He'd not really meant to say it out loud, but he doesn't bother taking it back.

"What do you mean?" Jason asks. His voice seems higher pitched, worried. "Things not going so well with Will?"

Nico shakes his head, smiling softly. "Things are really good there. It's just the idea of what Percy has, you know? Family that's alive and accepting, a chance to get to go to an actual school, a real chance to have a life, you know? I'm being stupid. It's probably just nerves."

Jason hums under his breath. "I know what you mean. I'd kill for a life like that, too. But you and I haven't got it so bad now, right?" Nico thinks about what Hazel had told him about the final battle. How Jason was flat out told by his father that he couldn't have a real relationship with him, that he needed to be strong and set an example, and Jason had argued and pushed him further than most would dare. He'd stood up for Apollo. It makes Nico actually glad Hades is his dad instead of Zeus. But now, Jason is Pontifex Maximus, and even Eros had said that Jason had found true love with Piper. Nico has Will, and it is true that life isn't nearly as bad as it used to be.

"Yeah. Considering where we all were a year ago, life's pretty good. Thanks, Jason – for listening – this whole _sharing my feelings_ thing feels a little weird."

"Dude," Jason says in his totally dorky big brother way. "I'm honored, really. I'm uh – meeting Piper's dad tonight. Tristan McLean. Talk about nerves. It's gonna be so weird."

Nico smirks at him. "Later. Good luck with that." 

XxxX

Nico wraps a towel around his waist and drains the bath. He nearly runs into Lou Ellen in the hallway. She's holding a laundry basket of clean clothes and sheets. Thankfully, the hall is dark and he doesn't think she can see the blush rising in his face at the sight of the sheets.

"So, Will told me to get ready. Guess we're doing it today."

"Yeah," Nico says. "Uh – are my clothes in there?"

"They're all of ours. Come on." He follows Lou Ellen to his and Will's room. "Morning, Sunshine!" Lou Ellen calls to Will, setting the basket on the bed.

Will jumps, his bow and arrows turning back into his doctor's bag. "Oh, hey guys."

Nico thinks Will sounds like he's trying to cover up his nerves. That, or he's hiding something.

"Your mom and sisters left about an hour ago," Lou Ellen says. "Mom to work, girls to school. I gave them medallion necklaces when they said goodbye. They're charmed to keep them away from the house and beach until we call for them."

"That's great," Will says. "I'm glad you're on this quest with us."

Nico's getting tired of standing around in only a towel. He digs through the laundry basket, and pulls out a pair of jeans, a shirt, socks, and boxers. Will sneaks his hand in and grabs something before Nico can see it properly. He looks at Will's reddening face, narrowing his eyes.

"What are you hiding?"

Lou Ellen giggles, apparently in on whatever the secret is. "It's his cozy, Nico. You can't have it back."

Will brings out what he's hiding. It's the awful shirt emblazoned with Island del Encanto Rico, featuring red and blue tropical birds. "I like it," he says, rubbing the fabric between his fingers.

"I don't want to know," Nico says, retreating to the bathroom to change. He's smiling despite himself. The idea that Will saved his old shirt so he could cuddle with it – it's unbearably cute.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter Summary: As they prepare to battle Python, Nico wonders if Will's right in the head.

XxxX

Nico stares at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He hardly recognizes himself. The dark circles under his eyes are nearly gone, and his lips seem to turn up on their own. Even when he tries to scowl, they creep back up at the corners and he looks ridiculous, but it's the changes to his hair that intrigue him most. It's thicker, longer, and _healthier_ than it ever was before. He wonders if Will's been spiking his food with vitamins, but even that thought doesn't upset him. It's something Will would do. Not out of wanting to heal a patient, but out of love because it's something Nico wouldn't do for himself. He rolls his eyes at himself and tugs the hem of his t-shirt. He must be growing or something, the damn thing used to hang loose and shapeless, and now it barely covers his belt.

He shakes his bangs out of his eyes and walks the short hallway to the bedroom. "What's the plan?" he asks as he enters, anything to avoid revisiting Will's relationship with Nico's awful shirt.

Lou Ellen's sitting on the bed, one knee up, tying her high tops. Nico has to force himself not to flinch at the sight of her shoes sprinkling dirt on the quilt. She looks up, grinning. "First thing we need to do is eat. I'm starving."

The mention of food makes Nico's stomach growl like it's trying to digest itself. He glares at Lou Ellen as if she purposefully suggested eating to make him hungry, though there's no real malice in it.

Will digs around in his backpack, pulls out three wrapped bars, and hands one to each of them. "These don't taste great, but they pack enough nutrition to get us through the day."

"Ugh," Lou Ellen says, even as she rips her bar open with her teeth. "Survival bars? Fine. But after we kill this snake I want some real food. Cheeseburgers and clam chowder, something to stick to my ribs."

Will doesn't say anything. He takes a bite of his own bar and chews as if lost in his thoughts.

Nico takes a bite of his bar, barely tasting it. It's food; he'll eat it. He glances at the garbage can beside the bed. It's full to the brim with discarded syringe wrappers from Will's doctor's bag.

"Will, you've gotta tell us. What is your plan exactly? When I woke up, you were tearing the heads off your arrows, and the garbage can is full of syringe wrappers …"

Will takes a deep breath and exhales. "I'm going to shoot him with the antitoxin. I've loaded my syringes with it, but since it'll be hard to get close enough, I figured I'd attach them to my arrows and let the impact depress the plungers. I sacrificed and prayed to Artemis while I prepared them. They'll work." Despite his determination, Will sounds nervous.

Nico raises an eyebrow, looking him over. He's stopped talking again in favor of devouring his survival bar as if having his mouth full will get Nico and Lou Ellen to stop asking questions. Nico swallows the last of his bar. "The antitoxin isn't going to kill him, is it?" he asks. He should have seen this coming. How many times has Will told him he can't bring himself to kill monsters.

Will's face goes red. He swallows quickly and washes the bar down with water from his canteen, then breathes out heavily through his nose, his expression darkening. "Killing him isn't going to solve anything." His voice is low enough Nico has to strain his ears to catch it.

"Wait, what?" Lou Ellen says, jumping off the bed. She puts her hands on her hips and the look she throws Will is enough to make Nico shiver. Her eyebrows are high and sharp, her lips pursed, her eyes glaring daggers. "What are you thinking, Will? You're _not_ planning to kill Python?"

Will swallows under Lou Ellen's glare, but gets to his feet, meeting her eyes. "I have a plan. I just need to get him away from the Oracle. He's blocking her spring with his body and it's the toxin in his skin that's poisoning her." He takes another deep breath, closes his eyes as if imagining how it will play out. He opens them again, shouldering his bow. "Lou Ellen, you use the Mist to make him think the cave entrance extends farther than it does. I'll draw him out, but I want him to think he's still safe inside. Nico, I'll need you to shadow-travel Lou Ellen to safety if things go wrong."

Nico frowns. Strangely, it feels weird to frown. The memory of what Anteros told him about Will needing to find the power of the sun inside himself is the only thing keeping him from speaking his mind. Will's plan, as Nico understands it, sounds like a recipe for disaster. "The snake can talk," he says after a long pause. "We need to be careful not to listen to it. It will try to trick us, to convince us to come close enough to devour us."

Will's hands twitch at his sides, his mouth working as if he wants to say something, but doesn't.

"I think we all know better than to listen to a giant snake," Lou Ellen says. She slips on her jacket and hands Nico his. He puts it on.

Will walks to the door. He's wearing a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and jeans, though, thankfully he's chosen to wear boots instead of his flip flops. Nico thinks it must be an Apollo thing, the denial of cold weather. "We're wasting time. Let's go."

Nico recognizes the determination in Will's voice and posture, like he's already chosen his course of action – and it's going to counter what Nico and Lou Ellen think he should do. Nico's done the same thing often enough himself. He and Lou Ellen follow Will out of the guest house and down to the beach, though his mind is back in the midst of the final battle.

He recalls the evil he saw in the six loaded onagers aimed at their camp, and his determination to assassinate Octavian by shadow-traveling into his command tent to prevent the order to fire from being given. It would have been his last stand if Will hadn't stopped him. But following Will now, knowing him better than he's ever really known anybody, he realizes Will is _not_ suicidal. He wouldn't throw his all into a course of action if he didn't think it would work. Still, Nico sees the world from a different angle than Will, a more realistic one. If it looks like Will's plan won't work, he'll open a hole into the Underworld and swallow the whole damn snake before he lets Will get himself killed.

__"What do you want to know? I'll answer anything you ask."__ __"That's a pretty dangerous statement."__ __"I trust you not to abuse it."__

Will trusts him. Funnily enough, Nico thinks he trusts Will, too.

They reach the beach. It's unusually still. The wind should be blowing, shouldn't it? And it's too quiet. The never ceasing sound of the ocean lapping at the shore is still present, but there are no sounds from the town, no cars driving by on the highway, no background noise at all. Nico's not sure he's not just imagining the lack of sound, but it's disorienting.

There aren't any people on the beach either, but how many would be present at this time of year anyway? Nico's not sure. He looks out at Face Rock. Her still, enormous profile ever-focused on the sky. He blinks. A mirage shimmers on her cheek. A goddess? No, a nereid in a white dress. He can see the rock and the ocean through her, as if she's not really there, but projecting her image. She waves at him and his fears vanish like vapor. He understands now, the stillness. It's her magic that's keeping the sound from distracting them, and holding back mortals from intruding on the beach.

He turns back and jogs to catch up with Will and Lou Ellen. They stand twenty feet before the cave entrance. Lou Ellen's hands are blurred. She's calling the Mist to herself.

In the space of a blink she's no longer standing next to Will, but is a good forty feet down the beach and the cave entrance itself seems drawn out, like a piece of gum, chewed and stretched. When he tries to focus, the cave entrance seems to move with him, until he's not sure he could find it if Will wasn't facing the real one.

Nico brushes Will's hand with the back of his own hand, unsure what Will's plan is to draw Python out.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter Summary: Will's method of defeating Python proves he is a son of Apollo.

XxxX

Standing before the cave entrance, knowing that giant snake he'd seen attack Will in his dream is inside, makes Nico's legs tremble. The fact that he's standing on sand doesn't help either. Ever since the war with Gaea, when it'd felt like he was standing on the goddess's throat, he's come to loathe unstable ground.

Will grabs his hand and gives it a squeeze.

__This is it. He's going to do whatever it is he's planning to draw Python out of the cave.__

He leans over, brushing his cheek against Nico's. "I'm going to do an ultrasonic whistle. Cover your ears, just in case I mess it up."

Nico furrows his brows, but nods. It's hard to not do what Will asks when he's touching Nico. His hand is warm in Nico's despite the fact he's not wearing a coat. He lets go of Will's hand and covers his ears, watching as Will purses his lips and supposedly whistles. Nico can't hear anything, but a moment later a stalactite crashes from the cave ceiling. The impact shrouds the mouth of the cave in a curtain of dust.

Nico lowers his hands as the dust settles, gazing into the cave's depths. The sound of hissing issues from the darkness, though it's not an angry sound, more like the serpent is amused. It grows louder; it's deep, rich, almost melodic. Nico swears he can feel the vibrations through his shoes.

"Son of Apollo," the voice says, more mature than it had been in Nico's dream – the thing has to have grown. "You think you can draw me out so easily?"

"No," Will calls back. "Just saying hello!" The laughter ceases. Nico wonders what in Hades's realm Will thinks he's doing. It sounds like he's inviting the snake to have a conversation. After a long pause, a giant yellow eye rises just inside the cave's entrance looking out at them, its slitted pupil enormous in the dark. Nico's sword is in his hand before he's even aware he's drawn it. Will stays his arm. "Wait. Do you trust me?"

Nico blinks, turning to look at Will, locking eyes. He nods, but doesn't put his sword down. Will gives him a half-smile and turns back as Python's giant head lurches forward into view. It's so large it nearly fills the entire cave entrance. It flicks its tongue.

"Hello to you," Python says. "You have grown." The voice sounds feminine, but Nico's not sure if it even matters what gender it is. It's so large it could wipe them out without even trying.

"You have, too," Will says. "I remember the last time I saw you, you were only about as thick as a crocodile. Now, you're nearly as large as a bus. It's amazing."

Nico glances over his shoulder at Lou Ellen. She's holding the illusion of the stretched out cave entrance, but Nico can see her shaking her head from where he stands. She's probably wondering what Will thinks he's doing talking to the snake when she'd warned him against it. Nico turns back. As snakes can't blush, he's having a hard time finding a better word for what Python is doing. She cocks her head like she's taking a bow, or perhaps she's just pleased that Will noticed her growth.

"The Delphic Oracle is mine again. It feeds me. I am flourishing here, back in my element, so to speak."

"You know what I came to do?" Will asks, no different than if he were asking her if she'd like a peanut butter sandwich.

Python sticks out her tongue, tasting the air. Her voice is still melodious, sibilant. "I thought you had come to _attempt_ to slay me, though I do not taste bloodlust in you. Why have you come?"

Will moves his bow from his shoulder, resting it in the sand by his feet. It turns into a staff. "Only to talk. My father is dying, and the woman harboring the spirit of the Oracle is also near death. It's because of the toxins in your skin. They are killing a god and the Oracle. When she dies, she won't be able to feed you any longer. You'll waste away."

Unless Nico's mistaken, he thinks he hears actual sorrow in Will's voice at the idea of Python wasting away.

She cocks her head in the opposite direction. "It is not _my_ fault … these toxins. I didn't choose to be born from them."

Will nods. "You understand how you were born then?"

"Of course," Python hisses. "After Zeus flooded the earth, destroying the upstarts, his wrath and bitterness seeped into the foam left behind. The remnants coalesced to create me. I was born from Zeus's own despair, his bitter disappointments, his fears and loathing."

Nico senses the snake coming closer, preparing to strike. "Don't listen to it, Will!" he shouts, unable to stay still before it's too late.

"Nico," Will says, though he doesn't look at him. His eyes are still trained on Python. "She's speaking the truth. Can't you hear it?"

She slithers forward again, though Nico's vision distorts. He swears she's closer, but when he looks again, only her head is visible in the cave's entrance. He darts his eyes to Lou Ellen. Her Mist magic is working. Python _is_ being drawn out, but still convinced she's safe in her cave.

"I am not used to engaging in intelligent conversation with anybody but the Oracle herself. She's fallen silent these past few nights."

"When you talk to her," Will says, still sounding as if he wants to befriend the monster, "do you listen? Do you learn from what she tells you?"

"Of course I do," Python answers. She sounds offended by the question. "It is how I learned to speak your language, how I understand where I came from, and why it is best I do not venture out to spread the diseases I carry. It's safer for everybody for me to stay out of the way, hidden by the Mist, with only the Oracle for company. It's kinder. Yet, you would have me venture forth? You ask that I deliver a plague on your homeland? Is that it?"

"Gods, no," Will says, chuckling. Nico's more than half convinced he's under the influence of whatever toxins are floating invisibly off the creature. But he waits. The plan was to draw Python out of the cave, away from the Oracle and it seems to be working so far. Still, Nico searches out the edges of the Underworld, gauging how much time it would take to call them closer should he need to.

"The voice of the Oracle is my father's voice. Do you understand that? She is the part of him that Zeus made him sever. He believed Apollo would overthrow him, but that he'd be unable to do it if he was split in two. With the Oracle unable to speak, Apollo's being consumed by the very things that created you."

"I see," Python says, turning her head again, her last word continuing longer than Nico is comfortable hearing. He senses danger. She moves closer still, though as Nico's vision catches up, it looks more like Will is the one who moved. "You want me to sacrifice myself willingly, to allow you to slay me, then? Is that what you suggest?" The anger in her voice makes Nico's bones ache. She looms even closer, making Nico step back a few paces, though Will stands his ground.

"No," he says. She could swallow him whole with hardly any effort. All she'd need to do is unhinge her jaw and snap him up.

A roaring sound fills Nico's ears. The wind is back. It whips Nico's clothes against the backside of his body, flapping about as if trying to break free in the front. He glances at Lou Ellen. She's also being bombarded, her black hair whipping across her face, and it looks like she's struggling to keep her hands up to control the Mist.

Will and Python continue to talk, though Will seems to have trouble staying put with the wind whipping his clothes. Nico can only make out a few words over the roar: _Asclepius, healing, and antitoxin._

He watches in horror as the snake seems to nod in understanding, and then lunges past Will, her body as long as a subway car, breaking through the Mist until she's on the beach.

Will draws his bow and knocks an arrow as Lou Ellen screams behind him. Nico hears pain in her voice. He dissolves into shadow as Will lets his arrows fly.

Nico kneels at Lou Ellen's side, scooping her up and disappearing with her back to the shadows beside the mouth of the cave. As they step back into daylight, Lou Ellen grabs her leg and Nico lowers her onto the sand. Her right pant leg is shredded and her calf, bleeding, a gross, greenish tinge creeping over the edges of the wound.

"Got hit by her tail," Lou Ellen says through gritted teeth.

Nico pulls his jacket and shirt off. He wraps the black t-shirt over the wound, pressing hard. "Keep pressure on it," he says. "You still with me?" She nods, blinking tears, and then darting her eyes towards Will.

Nico looks, too, slipping back into his jacket. Python's enormous body steams on the beach, green vapor rising from it, a line of about a hundred syringes running its length. the arrow shafts lie impotent on the beach. Will's kneeling beside the monster, his bow in staff form beside him, his hands on her poisonous green skin. "What the actual Hades is he doing?"

Python raises her head in what looks like a death throe, her tail thrashing feebly, and her jaws falling open, as if she's going to strike Will with her final breath. Nico runs towards him, his hands open and pointed down, bringing the Underworld closer to the earth's crust, but he halts at the last minute. It would swallow Will up along with the snake. "Will, look out!" he shouts, but Will begins to glow, the light building under his hands too bright for Nico to look at.

He shields his eyes, turning away, but Python doesn't strike. She sighs, and the last thing Nico sees before closing his eyes is her head flopping back onto the sand.

Nico can hear Will singing a hymn; he's actually _healing_ the monster. Nico opens his eyes a crack, though the brightness isn't as unbearable as before. He blinks purple spots from his vision and watches as Python shrinks.

She keeps shrinking until she's only about nine or ten feet long and Will is able to pick her up. Stupidly, he handles her by her tail, her head swinging, but very much alive. Nico covers his ears again as Will brings his staff down in the sand with a piercing sound, ten times louder than his taxicab whistle. He closes his eyes as another burst of bright light fills Will's hands and he swears he can feel the top layer of his skin burning off.

When he opens them again, squinting, Will walks towards him and helps him to his feet. When had he fallen? But Nico doesn't have a chance to try and figure out what's happening because Will has him in a bonecrushing, Jason-esque hug. "What? What did you do?"

"Gods of Olympus, Nico," Will says, not letting up on the hug at all. "I'm shaking so badly. I did it. It actually worked."

Nico has to smack Will on the side of the head to get him to loosen up so Nico can breathe. He gasps as Will pats his back, releasing him, an apologetic and rather dopey expression on his face.

"I don't understand," Nico says. He grimaces and rubs his chest. "I think you bruised my ribs." Then he recalls Lou Ellen. "Shit, Will. Lou Ellen got hurt. Come on, quick."

Will waves to Lou Ellen, and Nico's relieved to see her wave back. Will holds his hand as they walk to where she's still applying pressure to her leg with Nico's t-shirt. Her face is pale, but nowhere near death.

"Will Solace, you are the biggest, fattest, hugest jerk and best friend liar ever!" Lou Ellen shouts, though it's hard to tell if she's angry or trying not to laugh.

Will drops to his knees beside her. "I love you, too, Lou," he says, grinning at her. He moves Nico's shirt aside and covers the wound with his hand, singing another hymn, and balancing his weight with his staff.

When he lifts his hand, the wound is gone.

"I think it would have been more efficient to use the hypolydian mode," a voice issues from above them.

Nico and Lou Ellen look up. Python is wound around Will's staff, now a part of it, staring down at them disdainfully.

"It's like Hermes's caduceus!" Lou Ellen says, her breath catching. She pokes Nico in the ribs with her elbow. "Like George and Martha."

Will wrinkles his nose. "Nah, I'd say more like Asclepius's rod. They're both underground, so I can't ask them what I'm supposed to do with it now."

Nico squints at the snake. She seems a bit uppity. "What's your name?" he asks without thinking. But as he blinks some more, his eyes still not used to so much sun exposure, he realizes he really wants to know what name she'd choose for herself. She doesn't look monstrous any longer, but Nico supposes he shouldn't take for granted that she's not still dangerous.

"Yeah," Will says, looking up at her too. "What do you want to be called? I think Asclepius's python goes by Spike."

She sticks out her tongue in an unmistakable expression of distaste. She turns her eyes and cocks her head in thought. "Pythia? Yes. Pythia is my name."

Will grins at Nico and Lou Ellen, shrugging. He's not larger than life like Frank was when he'd received his father's blessing, not chiseled and mature like Percy had seemed when he'd turned down Zeus's gift of godliness and demanded the Olympians do right by their kids. Will's still just Will, easy-going, laid back, and sometimes bossy. The only difference Nico can see in him is that he's brighter than usual, but Nico hopes it's only a temporary side-effect.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter Summary: Their quest to save the Delphic Oracle is now complete, but Nico has a feeling that their adventures are far from finished.

XxxX

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Nico, Will, and Lou Ellen turn their heads as one at the sound of the voice. Will gets up, using his staff for balance, and Nico helps Lou Ellen to her feet as Apollo jogs towards them. He looks as young and healthy as ever, dressed in his orange Camp Half-Blood tank top and a pair of cutoff shorts. As he approaches, the clouds disperse overhead, and the sun shines upon the beach, warming Nico's face.

Apollo catches Will by the arm and slaps his back, then holds onto him in a half-hug. He eyes the staff in Will's other hand, sizing up the snake. "Hmm. I'm digging your new get up."

Pythia bows her head to the side, again making Nico think she's blushing. She flicks her tongue. "I prefer _you_ in this form, too. You are not as scary as before."

Apollo grins, then looks back at Will. "You're a chip off the old block. I know Asclepius views truth, love, and compassion as my best traits, but your use of them demonstrates _creativity_ is the real power behind them."

Lou Ellen nudges Nico with her elbow. They share a laugh at the sight of Will's face, reddening under his father's praise. "Oh yeah," she says to Nico. They step away to give Apollo and Will time to catch up, and –Nico thinks – to stroke Apollo's ego. "I should call Will's family back. They'll want to say goodbye and I don't think Apollo's gonna let us hang out until they come back on their own."

Nico nods. "Yeah. I suppose." He's not sure how he feels about the way things have turned out. It doesn't seem like their quest is truly finished yet – and he'd been practically relegated to the position of a bystander for the final battle. He thinks he's okay with that – for the most part. Opening a hole to the Underworld doesn't hold the same appeal it used to.

He reaches out with his senses, and gauges how close he'd come to sabotaging Will's plan, then throws up his hands. It's is still rising, albeit slowly.

"What is it?" Apollo asks. He's at Nico's side in the space of a breath.

"The Underworld –" Nico gasps, trying to halt its progress. "It's rising. I thought I'd stopped it. It was a back up plan, but –" He struggles, his feet sinking in the sand.

"How far is it?" Apollo asks, his voice not quite hiding his alarm. "Do we have time to get back to camp? Should I summon Hades?"

A bead of sweat slides down Nico's face, stinging the tender skin where Will had blasted him with UV rays. "About an hour or so," he says, wetting his dry lips. "Yeah, it's probably a good idea to call Hades."

Apollo nods and then grins. "Alright. He's not very happy, but he says he can handle it." It's disorienting to talk with a god like Apollo. He looks hardly older than they are, but the extent of power he conceals behind his boyish face is frightening. "He said it was when you brought your staff down, Will. The solar power gave Nico's summons a boost, and it's gonna take some work to slow it down."

Will stares at Apollo, his eyes huge as Apollo bursts into laughter. "Why are you laughing?"

"You two," Apollo says, and wipes a tear from his eye. He slings an arm around each of them and pulls them into a weird extended hug. Nico cringes, but doesn't try to escape, he knows Apollo's stronger than he appears. "You're perfect together. Hades is gonna go nuts when he finds out how much you're able to boost Nico's powers. We'll try to keep it on the down low though, yeah? Don't want the big guy to see you waving it around like a red flag before a bull."

Will and Nico look sideways at each other. Nico sees his own emotions reflected back at him in Will's eyes, a mixture of fear, confusion, and exhilaration.

"Anyway, it's time to get back to camp. You guys are stuck with me until the spring."

Funnily enough, Nico doesn't sense any trace of dismay in Apollo at the mention of his punishment. The way his face brightens – more than usual – at the mention of camp, makes Nico think he considers it an adventure. A gust of warm air rushes over Nico's face, ruffling his hair.

"Um, Apollo, sir," Lou Ellen says, and Apollo turns, finally releasing Will and Nico as if he's just realizing she's there.

"None of that _sir_ stuff," he says, "a sweetheart like you can just call me Apollo. Daughter of Hecate?"

Lou Ellen nods. She bites her lower lip, brow creasing with worry.

"Now, that's what I call a goddess." Apollo winks at Nico. "Talk about creative, and she's got that dark aura that just makes you want to get in there and find out what makes her tick."

Nico gives Will a silent plea for help with his eyes, but fortunately Lou Ellen draws Apollo's attention away from Nico's discomfort.

"Daphne and the girls just pulled up." She points towards the house. Apollo changes before their eyes. He's aged himself by at least a dozen years. He's more buff, taller, and no longer wearing camp clothes. Instead, he's dressed in black jeans, a t-shirt, and a leather bomber jacket. His hair is the same as ever, overgrown and blond, swept across his forehead so it almost reaches his eyes.

"Oh, shit," he swears under his breath. Nico wonders if he's afraid to confront Daphne again. The warm breeze seems to disappear all at once, leaving Nico shivering. Will grips his hand and warms him.

"Why didn't you ever tell me about my sisters?" Will asks as Apollo watches Daphne get out of the car, a wistful expression in his eyes.

"I couldn't. It's not … My father … It's not typical for a god to …" Apollo stops a moment as if realizing he's stammering. He sighs. "Eros has been dicking me around forever. Every time I'd drop by to check in on you, I'd get wrapped up in her spell all over again." He lowers his voice as she seems to recognize him from afar, and she and the girls start walking down to the beach. "It's not that I don't love her. I do. But it's not fair to her or me … this love isn't healthy for either of us."

"I spoke to Anteros," Nico says quietly, and Apollo stares at him, his hands twitching.

"That elusive imp? What'd he have to say for himself?"

Nico meets Apollo's eyes. He reads pain in them, though he can tell Apollo's trying to hide it. "He said there was hope you'd meet him one day."

"Paul?" Daphne says. Apollo turns away again to look at her.

"It's Apollo, actually," Apollo says, though he opens his arms and embraces her.

She touches his face, smiling up at him, all traces of her insistence that he's 'just no good' have vanished. "You look the same as always. Never any older."

He chuckles, though Nico thinks it sounds like he's uncomfortable. "I do have to work at keeping my roguish figure. Hey, I've never gotten to meet these beauties. Wanna introduce us?"

Will bumps Nico with his shoulder. He's put his staff away wherever the Mist hides it. They retreat with Lou Ellen back to the cave entrance, giving the family some space to get acquainted. Nico wonders why Will doesn't want to be included in the reunion, but he's not complaining. The wind whips around them again, colder, and Nico senses a distant hurt. He has a feeling Zephyros has been watching the scene play out, and that it's his despair he's sensing.

They watch Apollo talking with the girls. If Nico didn't know the circumstances of the family, he'd say they looked really happy together. He starts to wonder if Apollo intends to stay, but he finally turns away and waves at them to come over. Will drags his feet as they walk, and Nico understands why when he sees Apollo and Daphne kissing. He's never seen his own parents kiss. The very thought of Hades and his mother … he doesn't want to go there.

Fortunately, Apollo releases Daphne by the time they arrive. "Take care of these girls," he tells her. "They're special."

Daphne smiles and laughs, holding out her arms to Will for a goodbye hug. "You take care too, Will. You'll always be my sunbaby."

Lou Ellen is hugging the girls and talking about how awesome it will be when they're able to come to camp as Nico stands to the side. He's used to watching these sorts of scenes from afar, always on the edges, but Apollo doesn't seem to care that Nico prefers it that way. He yanks him over and slings an arm around his shoulders.

"What do you think of the lovebirds, Daphne? I'd say Will's done pretty well for himself."

She releases Will and Nico's relieved to see he's just as red in the face as Nico probably is. Daphne touches Nico lightly on the arm, but, thankfully, seems to read his discomfort more readily than Apollo. "It's been wonderful meet you, Nico. I hope we'll see each other a lot more in the future."

Nico nods, extricating himself from Apollo's embrace. He finds refuge with Will. "You too," he tells her, surprising himself to find he means it.

"Well, we've got to jet," Apollo interjects. "Got some quest wrapping up to do back at camp. I'll keep in touch."

Daphne smiles, though Nico thinks it seems resigned. She probably realizes, now that she's able to see Apollo for who he is, that he'll never be the man she needs him to be. She and the girls head back toward the house, Liz turning and waving goodbye to Nico.

It's probably for the best, Nico supposes, that she realizes it now. Apollo isn't giving off any false hopes. He appreciates that. Like with his father, Apollo's presence is real, and as reassuring as it is discomfiting.

"Time to get you kids back to camp," Apollo says, clapping his hands together. "Any ideas how we're gonna get there?"

"How about your sun chariot?" Lou Ellen suggests. Nico gets the sense from the excitement in her voice, that she's heard Will talk about it and wants to experience it herself.

"Can't," Apollo says with a pout. "It only goes west and we don't have time to wait to take it the long way around."

"I told Jason Grace about the girls," Will says. He sounds hesitant. "He's going to make sure they have a protector."

"That's great. Castalia could use the help." Apollo waves at Face Rock, and the shimmering mirage-like nereid waves back, then dissolves into the sea.

A car horn honks from the highway. They turn to look. Jules-Albert is hanging half out the driver's window of his Buick, making a hand gesture Nico reads as saying: _Are you idiots coming? I can't hang around all day._

A second later they're standing beside the car, their backpacks slung over their shoulders. Apollo hums under his breath before speaking. "I've never been much of a fan of zombies."

Jules-Albert lowers his sunglasses, glaring at Apollo like he's saying: _Don't mess with me, punk. Get in or fuck off._

Apollo raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. "My bad. It's cool. I'll just add another row of seats, and we'll be set."

Lou Ellen and Apollo climb in the newly installed back row, and Nico and Will take the middle one. They barely have their seatbelts fastened before Jules-Albert revs the engine and peels out onto the highway with a screech of tires.

"Uh, Dad," Will says, looking over the back of his seat. "What about Rachel? Is she okay? Didn't you want to check on her before we head back?"

"Already, done, kiddo. That's one nice thing about being a god – I can be many places at once. I wanna compliment your quick thinking with that emergency trach." He stretches out his legs, his elbows out, and hands resting behind his head – a position that shouldn't be possible in the cramped space of the car. Before their eyes, he alters his appearance to its familiar teenaged state. "Rachel's doing great. That Roman praetor is looking out for her, so I don't think I need to worry about my Oracle for the time being."

He closes his eyes and Nico feels the pull of sleep on his own subconscious. It drags him under and he doesn't fight it.

XxxX

When he opens his eyes again, the sun is full in the sky, and they're driving up Farm Road to Half-Blood Hill. It doesn't feel like more time has passed than the space of a nap. Nico suspects Apollo jumped them through several states to avoid being in the car with Jules-Albert for longer than necessary.

"Righto!" Apollo says, hopping out of the car as soon as it stops, even before Jules-Albert puts the e-brakes on. "I'd better check in with Chiron. He uh … I sort of took off as soon as I felt better. He'll need some talking down."

Will and Lou Ellen climb out after him, and Nico leans over the seat.

"Merci beaucoup."

Jules-Albert grins at him with his skeletal teeth. He holds up a fist and Nico bumps it, then climbs out and the car speeds away again.

They walk with Apollo through the camp, though they don't seem to be drawing much attention. Nico suspects Apollo wants it that way. As they pass the Hephaestus cabin, Will stops and points. "What do they think they're doing with that?"

Nico looks. Leo's burial shroud is flying at full mast from their flag pole. Well-wishes have been written on it with sharpies by what looks like every camper, and painted in the center reads: **Team Leo!** Nico shrugs. "They cleared it with me. I think he'd be honored by their refusal to burn it. He always did things differently."

"Oh, yeah," Apollo exclaims. "That Leo guy is a musical genius. I'm telling you, the Valdezinator is gonna be the next big thing." He whips out the strange contraption from thin air and starts strumming. "After all, the new prophecy hasn't been fulfilled yet.

"Apollo speaks true  
>Gay love will balance the world<br>You kids are the best."

Will buries his face in his hands, going bright red as Apollo digs a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to Lou Ellen. He hugs his Valdezinator to his chest and jogs towards the big house. Chiron waits in his chair on the porch, a stern look on his face. "Can he be any more embarrassing?"

Nico chuckles. "I'm kind of okay with that haiku."

Lou Ellen unfolds the paper and reads it aloud.

_"The fall of the sun, the final verse  
>inoculate the source, to fate – reverse.<em>

_The wretched one must make a stand,  
>topple the head, draw a line in the sand.<em>

_When a lion crows and the vortex spews  
>forth the daughter he never knew,<em>

_Then Lethe ease a fallen pride  
>and truth unveil a broken bride.<em>

_The early three will join no more  
>and two in one reset the score.<em>

"I still have no idea what it means," she says.

Will yawns. "Me either. But I think a real long nap sounds divine right about now. All this summoning the the power of the sun is really draining."

Nico smirks. "I think I could use one of those myself."

"Gross," Lou Ellen says, rolling her eyes. "You two go and enjoy your _nap_." She waves at a boy with blue-streaked dark hair. "Cecil! You wanna give a girl a hand? Pull me out of this sappy love story?"

Will chuckles as Cecil waves back from the Hermes cabin. He nudges Nico with his elbow. "Got an extra bunk for me, _Death Boy_?"

Nico rolls his eyes, but starts walking toward cabin 13 anyway. "You ought to be careful, _Sunbaby_. You wouldn't want to taint your golden glow with my gloomy shadows."

Will sprints to catch up with him, and whispers in his ear. "Oh yes, I would." He dashes up the stairs and into Nico's cabin.

Nico, his creepy grin firmly in place, follows.

The End

Follow the continuing saga on my author page in Shelterverse Oneshots!

and the novel-length sequel will begin in February or March

Comments are like candy. My muse is Apollo, and he's hungry.

And he asked me to tell you that the haiku in the last chapter is intended to convey that LGBTQIA love will balance the world, but it wouldn't fit the syllable count.

- Mab -


End file.
